Police said the strict Gangster Act and the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against the accused, and warned against any attempt to give the incident a casteist slant, saying the accused did not know the victim’s caste.
While the NSA allows states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner “prejudicial to the defense of India” with a maximum detention period of 12 months, which can be revoked earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 aims to combat organized crime by making special provisions to combat gangsters and anti-social activities.
Hariom Valmiki (40) was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil around 1am on October 2, amid rumors that a gang was using drones to monitor houses for theft.
“Four others, including Shiv Prasad Agrahari, who stood as a mute spectator and did not inform the police, a relative of Shivam, the main accused, who sheltered him, and two others – Lalli Pasi and his associate – were arrested on Tuesday, taking the total number of arrests in this case to nine,” Raebareli SP Yashveer Singh said.
“The victim was unknown to the villagers and those involved belong to different communities. Police will take action against anyone spreading false information or disturbing communal harmony,” the officer said. Five people – Vaibhav Singh, Vijay Kumar, Sahdev Pasi, Vijay Maurya and Suresh Kumar Maurya – were arrested for murder soon after the incident.
The case sparked an outcry in Congress on Tuesday, calling it a “murder of humanity and the Constitution,” saying it posed a serious question mark over collective morality, as violence cannot be the hallmark of a civilized society.
In a joint statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi said mob lynching, bulldozing injustice and mobocracy have become a “horrible mark of our times”.
The SP said the incident took place around 1 am in Jamunapur village, where locals attacked Hariom, a resident of Fatehpur, with sticks, rods and belts after suspecting him of theft.
“The deceased seemed mentally unstable and unable to express himself. The villagers thought he had come to steal and beat him up, which led to his death,” the SP said.
The police were informed of the incident the next morning, after which they sent the body for an autopsy, which revealed multiple serious injuries.
Based on video evidence, police have identified 10-15 more suspects and more arrests are likely, the SP said, adding that strict action will be taken in the case under the Gangsters Act and NSA.
The police teams are also coordinating with their counterparts in Fatehpur and tracking down suspects who may have fled to other states, officials said.
On Monday, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai visited Hariom’s family and claimed that the victim was beaten up after taking Rahul Gandhi’s name.
He also alleged that a “Jungle Raj” was reigning in the state. Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, spoke to the victim’s brother over the phone and assured him of his full support.
