"I was sleeping in my house when I heard noise outside my house. I got up and went out to see what had happened because it was late at night. There I saw Dhansha and Sampat who were surrounded by 15-20 Bajrang Dal members," said Brijesh Wati, an eyewitness who was beaten up by cow vigilantes, who allegedly lynched two Adivasi men in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni on Monday, 2 May.
On Monday night, two Adivasi men Dhansha Inawati and Sampat Wati were caught allegedly by the members of Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena on the suspicion of cow slaughter in Semariya Village. They were then allegedly lynched.
Here are a few key questions about the case that will be answered through the article:
What did the eyewitness say?
Do the accused belong to Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena?
Were the deceased possessing cow meat?
What's the controversy over photos of accused with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders?
Why are there calls for houses of accused to be demolished?
What compensation has the BJP government provided?
What Did the Eyewitness Say?
Speaking to The Quint, Brijesh said: "When I reached there, they beat me up bamboo sticks. I sat in a corner while they thrashed Sampat and Dhansha. After they were done, they told us to go to the police station with them. Meanwhile, some other villagers arrived at the spot who said the police must be called to the village, in case any of them succumb while going to the station."
He further claimed that the Bajrang Dal members called the police. The police then came and took Brijesh and the other two Adivasis to the hospital, where Dhansha and Sampat succumbed to the injuries, he said.
He also said that all accused were present when the police came.
Do the Accused Belong to Bajrang Dal & Ram Sena?
On Wednesday, 4 May, Seoni SP Kumar Prateek said that they have arrested 14 people in connection with the incident.
"We have arrested 14 people in connection to the incident that happened on the night of 2 May. There were allegations of the accused belonging to Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena but it hasn't been verified yet. We are investigating and will only be able to confirm post investigation," Kumar Prateek said.
However, GS Uike, Thana in-charge (TI) Kurai, earlier told the media that of the people arrested so far, at least three are associated with the Bajrang Dal and at least six are associated with the Ram Sena.
At least six accused have been named in the First Information Report (FIR) and have been booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (punishment for murder).
Were the Deceased Possessing Cow Meat?
Speaking to the media, SP Prateek said that cow meat has been recovered from the deceased.
"The incident took place at 2.30 pm at night. From what we know, they used to do these things near the forest sometimes. We have recovered around 10-12 kg of cow meat from the deceased. The lynching was wrong and condemnable. As far as the issue of cow meat is concerned, it was definitely recovered from them," he said.
What's the Controversy Over Photos of Accused With BJP Leaders?
Several photos of some of the accused along with BJP leaders have been doing rounds on social media.
In one such photo, three accused Sher Singh Rathod, Deepak Awadhiya, and Ajay Sahu can be seen in a poster. In another photo, one of the accused Deepak Awadhiya is seen with district BJP president Alok Dubey.
'Demolish Houses of Accused,' Says Cong, Police Claim Houses Not Illegal
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter to condemn the incident.
"In Seoni (MP), two Adivasis were lynched by Bajrang Dal (RSS) people. The RSS-BJP constitution and the agenda of hatred of Dalit-Adivasis are promoting violence against Adivasis. We have to unite and stop this hate-filled agenda," she wrote on Twitter.
Local Adivasis and Congress leaders are demanding that the houses of those involved in the lynching must be demolished. Local MLA Arjun Singh Kakodiya also organised a chakka jam demanding the arrest of all the accused and demolition of their homes. He also demanded a ban on the Bajrang Dal and Ram Sena.
However, SP Prateek told media that an inquiry had been conducted with the help of revenue department and no illegal constructions were found in the name of those accused in the case.
Further, state Congress president Kamal Nath on Tuesday constituted a three-member fact-finding team, which is expected to visit the village on 5 May.
"Shivraj ji, in view of the upcoming elections, your government has been spending crores of rupees in the name of their great men, organising grand events, to woo the tribals. But it is better that instead of organising such events, you should provide adequate respect and security to the tribals today. In your government, this section is most vulnerable today. Incidents of oppression and harassment are increasing daily in the state," Nath wrote in a long Twitter thread, noting that the accused were allegedly associated with the saffron party.
The Congress has also shared a purported video of the incident, in which several of the accused can be seen confronting the two deceased men.
What Compensation Has the State Govt Provided?
BJP leader and Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel and Ministry of Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste said that the incident was between two groups and the lynching took place following a tussle.
"The govt has acted swiftly on the incidents and we have provided monetary relief and jobs to the kin of the deceased. Such incidents should not happen," he said.
The government has announced a compensation of Rs 8.25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, along with government jobs for their children.
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