4 Sadhus Beaten Up on Suspicion of Being Child Kidnappers in Maharashtra’s Sangli, Video Goes Viral

A group of at least four Sadhus was thrashed by a mob on suspicion that they could be child-lifters, officials said, even as police got into action and detained six persons. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Lavanga village in the Jat tehsil of the district in western Maharashtra and revived memories of the lynching of three Sadhus in Palghar district.

Edited By: Rajashree Seal

Updated: September 14, 2022, 12:58 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/viral-video-4-sadhus-beaten-up-on-suspicion-of-being-child-kidnappers-in-maharashtras-sangli-video-goes-viral-5630763/ Copy

The incident occurred on Tuesday in Lavanga village in the Jat tehsil of the district in western Maharashtra and revived memories of the lynching of three Sadhus in Palghar district.

Mumbai: A group of four sadhus were assaulted and beaten up by a mob in Maharashtra’s Sangli district on suspicion of being child kidnappers and videos of the incident have now surfaced on social media platforms. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Lavanga village in the Jat tehsil of the district in western Maharashtra when the four men hailing from Uttar Pradesh were heading towards the temple town of Pandharpur from Bijapur in Karnataka in a car.

The sadhus (religious ascetics), however, lodged no complaint over the incident which took place on Tuesday, even as the incident sparked a fresh political row between the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

WATCH

Palghar repeat ??

Four Sadhus enroute Ayodhya have been brutally attacked by the villagers in Sangli, Maharashtra

Sadhus have been attacked on suspicion of being members of a child lifter gang, say locals

Does it justify attempted lynching ?? pic.twitter.com/JMKhIn0drc

— Ravinder Chaudhary (@SaffronRavinder) September 14, 2022

On Tuesday, they were reportedly asking a boy for directions when some locals intervened, and suspecting them to be kidnappers, hammered them.Videos of the incident — showing some persons assaulting them with blows, sticks and belts — went viral on social media platforms triggering protests and allegations between the ruling and opposition combines.

Slamming the Shinde-Fadnavis government, state Congress President Nana Patole said this is part of the BJP’s “dirty politics” that Hindu Sadhus are being thrashed in such a manner.

“The BJP is virtually ruling the state, the Deputy CM and Home Minister (Fadnavis) are from the BJP… Now what face they have left to show,” said Patole.

Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said that a similar incident had occurred in Palghar in April 2020 in the Palghar village ruled by the BJP and several local BJP office-bearers were also involved.

“The BJP used that incident to label the MVA government as ‘anti-Hindu’… A similar situation has arisen in Sangli now. Whose government is in power? Will they hand over the probe to the CBI?” Sawant demanded.

Ruling BJP Spokesperson Ram Kadam termed the incident as “appalling and barbaric” and would not be tolerated in the state, while assuring a full probe into the matter.

Sangli Police Superintendent Dixit Gedam told the mediapersons that the police have launched suo moto investigations and detained at least six persons, and appealed to the people not to fall prey to such rumours.