Tribal man dies after being beaten up, tied to vehicle and dragged

BHOPAL: A 45-year-old tribal man, who was allegedly thrashed by eight persons who tied him to the rear side of a vehicle with a rope and dragged him some distance in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district, died during the treatment, police said on Saturday, adding that six accused have been arrested.

According to the police, the incident occurred on Thursday morning after a minor road accident involving the tribal man, identified as Kanhaiyala Bheel of Banda village, and a milkman who was riding a motorcycle.

Kanhaiyalal’s friend Govind Bheel registered a complaint on Friday at Ratangarh police station.

“On Thursday morning, Kanhaiyalal came to me and said his wife eloped with her brother-inlaw. We went to search for her on a bike. We were standing on Neemuch-sangoli road looking for public vehicles and bikes coming from his village. Kanhaiyalal picked a stone in his hand. He lost his balance and collided with the bike of Chitarmal Gurjar, a milkman. They both fell down. When Chitaramal called his friends, I fled,” Govind told police in his complaint.

Soorja Kumar Verma, superintendent of police, Neemuch, said Gurjar called up his friends who also roughed up Bheel and tied him to the rear side of a vehicle with a rope. Bheel was dragged for some distance.

“After a video of the incident became viral, the police swung into action but by then, the accused had fled. The victim was rushed to the district hospital where he died on Friday,” the SP said.

All the eight accused were charged with sections 302 (Punishment for murder) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, Verma added.

Police said they have arrested six accused, including milkman Gurjar, 32, of Patan village and Mahendra Gurjar, 40, who is the husband of Ghetaliya village’s sarpanch. State home minister Narottam Mishra said, “We won’t allow such barbarism in the state. The matter will be taken to fast-track court.”

However, the opposition Congress attacked the Bjp-led state government for increasing cases of atrocities against tribals.