Unabated theft and apprehension of someone lurking around to steal when get coupled with rumor then it becomes a deadly combine ready to trigger mass hysteria. Brutal lynching of someone -either guilty or a mere suspect -is then only a step away. That is what exactly happened in Ram Durga Sardar Para in Jirania at the Thursday-Friday intervening night- an unidentified person has been murdered by the villagers suspecting him of a thief. But police believe that the deceased was actually a mentally challenged person who just walked into the village and knocked at the door of one Nandi Debbarma.
At the face of it the unfortunate mentally deranged man just strayed away to the village Ram Durga Sardar Para and knocked the door of Nandi Debbarma. The villagers were already unsettled at the thought that theft could be committed in the village anytime and when Nandi Debbarma saw the unknown person at his door step , he hit him hard. The man also retaliated and then the all hell broke loose. As the alarm was raised the villagers rushed in and bludgeoned the man to death on spot.
“When we received the report that one thief was caught by the villagers we rushed to spot only to find the man lying unconscious and his condition was evidently serious. Fire service personnel also came and they took the man to GB hospital where he was declared brought dead”, said a police officer from Jirania.
The body was kept at morgue of GBP hospital for identification. The deceased still remained unidentified.
However, in the meantime Jirania police arrested three persons- Nandi Debbarma, Dulal Debbarma and Bishu Debbarma in connection with the lynching.
Not only lynching, but also there were almost everyday reports of a thief being caught or beaten by the locals were pouring in. On Friday also there were similar reports reached to the media houses. One incident took place at Chandrapur and the two others were reported from Airport area and Thakurpalli road of the city itself.
Lynching of suspected thieves in the state following such mass hysteria was not new. Two decades ago four thieves- all Bangladeshis- were chased , caught and lynched one after another in broad daylight in Ramnagar area of Agartala.
Only some months ago five persons were lynched on the similar suspicion in Khowai. Only three years ago one innocent youth was lynched by the villagers in South Tripura who suspected him to be a child lifter- though he was in fact carrying out awareness programme on behalf of the government only.
All agree to that it is high time the concerned authorities take up the matter seriously and go for awareness campaign – while at the same time stop the unabated theft cases. Or there could be many more such unfortunate lynching or mob violence.
