Social activists and religious
organisations have condemned the lynching of three people by a mob in a village in neighbouring Palghar district on Thursday night while on their way to attend a funeral in Surat in neighbouring Gujarat.
The incident happened near Gadchinchale village on the Dhabadi-Khanvel road under Kasa police station limits.
Three people from Kandivali in Mumbai, identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) and driver Nilesh Telgade (30), were pulled out of their car and beaten to death in the presence of a police team that had rushed to the site to save them.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad national spokesperson Shriraj Nair called a it a barbaric incident and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, adding that it was a failure of the police.
He also took a swipe at "activists and actors who are eager to pounce on issues of mob lynching when it comes to a particular community".
Social activist Anjali Damania said the "NCP- controlled state Home department was engaging in goondaraj", and cited other incidents like a man being beaten up by police staff guarding state minister Jitendra Awhad as well as the arrest of a news reporter in connection with a migrant mob assembling during lockdown on April 14 in Bandra in the metropolis.
Former IPS officer YP Singh demanded a through probe and said police could not be blamed entirely as some forest staff seen in the assault video should also have intervened to save the victims.
Former Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar blamed the local superintendent of police and said the latter's teams were yet to arrest those who spread rumours that led to the lynching.
Over 100 people have been arrested so far in the case, officials have said.
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