Tribal man ‘flogged’ cops, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren orders inquiry

Jharkhand Chief Miner Hemant Soren has ordered an inquiry after pictures of a 42-year-old tribal man, who was allegedly flogged the Latehar drict police for “dropping off Maos” in the forest area, was shared on social media.
The issue was brought up rights body Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) which said that the victim Anil Singh, claimed to be a farmer, was allegedly picked up in the intervening night of February 23 and 24 the Garu police in Latehar drict and beaten up severely.
Anil Singh told the reporters: “We were sleeping at home when the Garu police station in-charge knocked on the door and asked me to accompany him to the police station. I had two guests at my home, and they were also asked to come. The police alleged that we had gone to drop off Maos and then they started beating me to an extent that I went unconscious.”
Reacting to the incident, Chief Miner Hemant Soren tweeted in Hindi: “Jharkhand Police, take immediate cognisance of the matter and take strictest possible action against the culprits and inform.”

.@JharkhandPolice मामले का तत्काल संज्ञान ले दोषियों के ख़िलाफ़ कड़ी कार्रवाई करते हुए सूचना दें। https://t.co/A4ZACHSldK
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) February 27, 2022
The rights body said that an FIR should be regered immediately against the station incharge and demanded compensation for the victim.
“Anil and a couple of other villagers were picked up at midnight and accused of helping Maos. He and another person were severely beaten till he lost consciousness. It must be noted that innocent Adivasi Bramhadev Singh of the same block was killed security forces a few months back. He was shot dead during a Naxal search operation,” said a release the JJM.
A 24-year-old man from a tribal community was killed at the Piri village under Garu block of Jharkhand’s Latehar drict on June 12 last year, in what police claimed was an incident of “crossfire”. Later, the villagers filed a complaint at the Garu police station against the security personnel, calling it a case of unilateral firing the police.