Jharkhand Tabrez Ansari Tabrez Ansari

Ranchi: A group of Hindu women in Jharkhand's Seraikela Kharsawan district lodged an FIR against sympathisers of Tabrez Ansari, the victim of a recent mob lynching in the state, for threatening to rape them.

As per local media reports, around 20 people carrying All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) flags entered the Dhatkidih village, where the lynching of Ansari took place and threatened the women with dire consequences apart from issuing rape threat. They also allegedly removed religious flags from a temple and shouted slogans in favour of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

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Talking to IANS, Kartik S., Superintendent of Police (SP) said, “A group of women have lodged an FIR at the Seraikela police station today. They said they have been threatened with rape and other consequences. The matter is currently under investigation.”

Ansari, 22, succumbed to his injuries on June 23 after he was brutally thrashed by a mob in Dhatkidih village on suspicion of bike theft. As per the police, a stolen motorcycle and few other things were also recovered from him.

The matter came to light after the video of the incident went viral in which one of the main accused Pankaj Mandal was seen assaulting Ansari, who was tied to a tree. In the video, few people can also be heard forcing him to chant Jai Sri Ram.

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Meanwhile, the Raghubar Das-led BJP government has handed over the case to a Special Investigation Team and so far, five accused have been arrested while two cops have been put on suspension until further notice.

On the other hand, the family members of Ansari clarified that his father Masoor Alam's death 15-years-ago was not due to mob lynching but over a dispute with friends. Talking to the media, Ansari’s uncle said that there was no such thing as mob lynching adding that he was killed due to enmity with friends.

The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also strongly condemned the lynching and called on the government to take concrete actions to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

Condemning the incident USCIRF chairman Tony Perkins said that lack of accountability will only encourage others who target religious minorities to act with impunity.

The USCIRF in its 2019 annual report recommended the US government saying that pressure needs to be applied on the state governments “to prosecute religious leaders, government officials, and media personalities who incite violence against religious minority groups through public speeches or articles, as was recommended by the National Minorities Ministry in July 2014.”

The report further said that the Indian government should be “pressed” to allow a USCIRF delegation to visit the country so as to meet with stakeholders to assess conditions for freedom of religion or belief in India.