In a horrifying incident, three people, including 2 sadhus, were mercilessly lynched to death on suspicion of theft in Gadchinchale village of Palghar in Mumbai. The trio, including a 70-year-old man, was attacked on Thursday night based on the rumours that they were involved in the abduction of children to harvest organs, including kidneys.

Maharashtra: 3 people lynched on suspicion of theft in Gadchinchle village of Palghar. Kailas Shinde, Collector says, “They were declared brought dead at the hospital. About 110 villagers have been brought to police stations for questioning. Further probe underway”. (17.4.20) pic.twitter.com/A7rWWwPSqX — ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2020

Apprising about the incident, collector Kailas Shinde said, “They were brought dead in the hospital. About 110 villagers have been brought to police stations for questioning. Further investigation is underway.”

A manic mob of more than 100 people attacked the three men

According to the reports, a wild and frenzied crowd of over more than 100 people attacked the three people when they were on their journey towards Nashik from Mumbai to attend a funeral. The villagers deemed them as thieves and started attacking them. The police team which had rushed to the spot to rescue the 70-year-old man also came under the attack of the violent mob. The three men were travelling to Nashik in a car. The manic crowd stopped their car and violently dragged the trio out of their car before subjecting them to their relentless onslaught. Amongst the three lynched by the mob, 2 of them were Hindu sadhus while the third one was the driver of the rental car they were travelling in.

The local police official claimed that the police team had reached the location as soon as they were informed about the incident. However, they were outnumbered by the frantic crowd who had joined in droves to attack the men who they thought belonged to a gang of thieves. The police could not save the three men and all three were lynched to death by the crazed mob. Police vehicles were also attacked by the crowd. An investigation has been ordered in the case and about 110 people have been taken into custody by the police.

Rumours abound of child gang thief led to the deadly attack

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The three deceased have been identified as Sushil Giri Maharaj, Jayesh and Naresh Yalgade, residents of the Kandivali suburb of Mumbai. The trio had apparently rented a car and was travelling to Nashik to attend a funeral. Despite the lockdown, the three managed to reached Palghar, 120 km from Mumbai, where they were stopped by a demonic mob baying for their blood. Rumours of the child thief gang had run high and wild throughout the region for the last few days. The crowd suspected that the three men belonged to the child thief gang and launched an aggressive assault against them. Later, when the police recovered the three men and took them to the hospital, they were pronounced dead on arrival.

3 days ago, Assistant Police Inspector Anand Kale and three other police officials and a doctor were attacked on the same suspicion that they were thieves.

Police officials uncertain if the mob killed the trio based on the rumours

While the rumours of child gang thieves have been doing the rounds in Palghar for some time, the police officials believe that the ferocity with which the mob carried out the attack against the 2 sadhus and their driver indicates that the mob was bent on killing them. An investigation into the matter is underway and the police are taking into account all the possible angles and motivations that drove the mob to unleash a mortal attack on the trio.