Rae Bareli lynching a case of mob violence, not caste attack: Police | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Rae Bareli police have ruled out hate crime in the lynching of 40-year-old Hariom Valmiki, who was beaten to death by a mob in the Unchahar area on October 2. Police say their investigation points to mob hysteria triggered by rumours, and negligence, not to a premeditated caste-based attack. “The victim was not known to the assailants and at least three of arrested accused are Dalits,” says a senior cop.The victim, accused by villagers of being a “drone thief,” was brutally assaulted by locals after being tied to a pole. Videos of the incident went viral, showing Hariom — who was mentally challenged — being thrashed by a crowd. He also shouted the name of Rahul Gandhi, clips show. It sparked political outrage and social media claims that the killing was caste-motivated.But a probe by the police reveals that Hariom was mentally unwell, wandering from village to village; the assault unfolded as he was wandering late at night and could not give satisfactory answers when confronted.“A detailed probe into the brutal assault and death of a man from the Valmiki community suggests the episode was a tragic chain of local confrontations and mob violence, not a premeditated hate crime,” said additional SP, Rae Bareli, Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, who led the probe in the incident. ASP Sinha while detailing about Hariom said that the deceased had a documented history of mental illness. He married a woman named Sangeeta about 11 years ago; the couple separated soon after and Sangeeta returned to her parental home near an NTPC township, taking their daughter. For roughly a decade the victim lived alone and worked odd jobs, according to family contacts and revenue records. Relatives and neighbours say he was prone to wandering and, at times, unable to give coherent details about himself, the police officer added.The TimelineA call to Rae Bareli Police’s emergency services around 9:42–9:45 pm on Oct 2 reported a ‘suspicious’ person standing on the road.A PRV patrol team reached the spot and found the man in a disturbed state; after brief questioning he was allowed to leave when he could not provide clear information. That interaction was recorded as an ‘event closed — person appears mentally disturbed’. “Over the ensuing hour(s), the man wandered across several habitations and hamlets — including Dera, Jamunapur and adjoining villages — where he was repeatedly confronted by a mob as to why he was wandering and had entered the home of a local. Failing to provide any answers the mob which had never seen him or was ever acquainted with him surrounded him, tied him to a pole and thrashed him thinking him to be a thief,” said the officer quoting from the police GD entry.Eyewitnesses say short scuffles and verbal altercations began, people gathered, and the situation escalated as more residents joined.Viral video clips later showed the man being beaten at multiple locations; investigators stress the videos capture different places (Dera, Jamunapur, etc.) and not only a single spot. Early morning the next day his badly injured body was found near Ishwarpura. He was taken for post-mortem. His father Gangadeen then registered a complaint alleging he had been beaten to death.Police findings so far:SP, Rae Bareli, Yash Veer Singh, said that the pattern that emerges is one of mob assault and disorder: the victim’s confused movements and repeated confrontations with residents appear to have triggered collective violence, not an organized attack directed at him because of his caste. Forensic and medical examinations recorded multiple external injuries consistent with assault. The post-mortem and forensic team are being relied upon to determine the precise cause of death and sequence of injuries. Preliminary technical and video analysis indicates participants came from at least five neighbouring villages; the incident spread as crowds formed and moved. Investigators say there is no conclusive material at present — such as messages, speeches, or organized communiqués — to show a coordinated hate-motivated plot targeted at the victim’s community. Several front-line personnel — a beat constable and a chowki/sector in-charge — were suspended for lapses in duty and failure to prevent escalation. Five cops were suspended including two SIs and three constables.A fast-track investigation resulted in multiple arrests: teams have so far identified 23 people believed to have participated; nine were remanded to judicial custody and others are under interrogation. Those arrested — Vaibhav Singh, Vijay Kumar, Sahdev Passi, Vijay Maurya, and Suresh Kumar Maurya, Shiv Prasad, Suresh Gupta, Lalli Passi, and Ashish Passi — belonged to different castes, say cops. Police have also registered relevant sections of the penal code (including murder and rioting-related sections) as the probe progressed and new evidence emerged.