Manawar (Indore): A day after mob lynching incident in Manawar block of Dhar that claimed one life and left five others serious injured, DGP VK Singh suspended six cops, including Manawar police station incharge Yuvraj Singh Chouhan.

Five people, including a BJP sarpanch, arrested for instigating the mob have been booked for murder said Dhar SP Aditya Pratap Singh adding that a special investigative team (SIT), headed by ASP Devendra Patidar, has been constituted to probe the matter.

Singh confirmed that Junapani sarpanch Ramesh Junapani, a member of BJP, was arrested for instigating the crowd. Three persons identified from the video of the incident have been named in the FIR.

In Bhopal, public relations minister PC Sharma announced formation of a SIT to probe the incident.

Ganesh Khasi of Sanwer tehsil was lynched and his five associates were brutally thrashed on Wednesday, following rumour about their involvement in abduction of a man from Borlai village under the Manawar block of Dhar district.

Villagers chased victims from Khirakia village to Borlai and attacked them.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh: 1 lynched, 5 brutally beaten over abduction rumour

The background

Borlai village has a population of 1,000. Most of the villagers work as daily or contract labourers to earn livelihood. Four villagers, including Mukesh Antarlal, Avtarsingh, Jaamsingh and Bhuwansingh of Khadkiya village had taken advance from farmers of Pipliya village. The six victims had gone to Khadkiya village to get the money back. However, a rumour claiming that the six villagers in two cars had abducted a villager was spread to avoid returning the money taken as advance.

Sources said that a police team that reached the spot was outnumbered by a mob of 200.

People filming mob attack in MP should have stopped it: DGP

The DGP on Thursday said while the police cannot shirk their responsibility, people should have also tried to stop the violent mob. Condemning the gruesome, DGP V K Singh said instead of filming the act on their cellphones, local people should have intervened to stop the attack.

"The incident was quite saddening and unfortunate. The police will initiate necessary measures (to prevent such incidents). But there is also an urgent need to seriously look at the society's mentality," the DGP told reporters. Singh said the people who were around should have stopped the mob instead of filming the incident on their cellphones. "The police can't shirk their responsibility, though they have their limitations," he added.

"Other policemen will face departmental action if it is found that they have shown dereliction in performing their duties," Singh said.

Also Read: Mob-lynching incidents in BJP-ruled states, PM Modi should ensure action: Asaduddin Owaisi

Politics is on boil

Chief Minister Kamal Nath's media coordinator Narendra Singh Saluja claimed Ramesh, the sarpanch of Junapani village, is a BJP worker.

Saluja claimed the opposition BJP is politicising the issue despite the fact that it's own party worker had "incited" people to attack the victims.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath termed the incident as "very unfortunate" and added that such things cannot be tolerated.

Nath directed the administration to thoroughly probe the incident and take stern action against the culprits.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from all quarters with former BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that the Nath-led Congress government had made the state "Talibani".

"People are being beaten and stoned to death. The incident is unfortunate as those killed had given prior information to the police that they are going to recover their money in the village, as they faced threat over there, but police remained asleep," he claimed.

Speaking to reporters, state BJP president Rakesh Singh said, "If anyone is responsible for this incident, it is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh."

Asked about the Congress claim that one of the accused is a BJP worker, Singh said, "Crime is crime. A criminal can't be spared even if he belongs to a particular political party. But the Congress cannot shirk its responsibility by pointing out one person from a mob of 500. Will this end crime?"

Also Read: Kamal Nath's soft Hindutva sends BJP into a tizzy