Nagpur man, 35, dies after mob beating over alleged attempt to molest girl in Shivnagar
Narayan Mohandas Vaishnav died in hospital after being beaten by angry residents; the cause of death awaits the post-mortem report and police are investigating.
A 35-year-old man was badly beaten by angry residents in Nagpur's Shivnagar area over an allegation that he tried to misbehave with a young girl. Narayan Mohandas Vaishnav, who was seriously injured in the beating, died during treatment. The incident has caused a stir in the area.
The incident took place on Monday night. Whether Vaishnav died because of the beating or some other cause will be clear only after the post-mortem report arrives. The exact cause of death has not yet been established.
A Maskarya Ganpati has been installed in Shivnagar and various cultural programmes are being held on the occasion. On Monday night, the girl had gone with her mother to see the Ganpati display. It is alleged that Narayan Vaishnav then told the girl that her father was calling her and took her to his house.
According to the allegation, the girl became suspicious as the light in the house was switched off and an attempt was made to shut the door. She bit Narayan's hand and ran away. On reaching home, she told her parents everything that had happened.
As the news spread in the neighbourhood, some residents became enraged. They surrounded Narayan and beat him with their fists, leaving him seriously injured. On learning of the assault, Pardi police rushed to the spot and admitted him to Mayo Hospital. However, he died during treatment at around 2.30 pm on Tuesday.
Police have registered the incident. They have begun investigating three matters: the alleged incident involving the girl, the exact cause of Narayan's death, and the beating. The incident involving the girl is, for now, only an allegation.
The incident has brought the issue of instant justice back into discussion. Angry residents are alleged to have taken the law into their own hands on learning of the attempted assault on the girl. A young man also died recently in a mob beating in the Beltarodi area. The tendency to take the law into one's own hands in cases involving serious allegations, and its consequences, are once again under discussion. The exact cause of Narayan's death will be clear only after the post-mortem report.
