Four prisoners who escaped from Meghalaya jail killed by mob
Shillong, (PTI): Four of six undertrial prisoners, who escaped from the Jowai jail, were allegedly killed by a mob in Shangpung village in the West Jaintia Hills district on Sunday, police said.
A group of six prisoners overpowered the staff at Jowai jail on Saturday and escaped. Five of them reached Shangpung on Sunday, about 70 km away from the prison, a senior officer said.
Around 3 pm of Sunday, when one of the prisoners went to a tea shop to buy food, he was identified by the locals and the entire area was alerted, village headman R Rabon told PTI.
A large number of people turned up and chased the group of prisoners to a nearby forest. A purported video of the incident showed angry villagers, armed with sticks, apprehending the prisoners and beating them mercilessly.
Four prisoners died in the attack while one managed to escape, Rabon said.
Inspector-General of Prisons JK Marak said, "It is true that a group of villagers apprehended four of the escaped prisoners and subsequently lynched them. Our officers have reached the area and I am awaiting more information."
Officials said that one of the prisoners Ramesh Dkhar managed to escape from the mob, while the sixth prisoner was nowhere to be seen during the attack.
"Two prisoners had been arrested in the murders of taxi drivers in August," police said.
Superintendent of Police of West Jaintia Hills BK Marak said police officers are at the spot and ‘conducting spot inquiry and other necessary formalities’.
"A case has been registered in the Jowai police station against the prison staff and five of them have been arrested so far. Among the arrested prison staffers are one head warden and four wardens," he said.
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Activists write open letter to Odisha govt flagging anti-Christian violence
New Delhi: Activists and rights campaigners John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander have expressed serious concern over the alleged rise in violence and intimidation against Christians in several districts, accusing both Hindutva organisations and sections of the police of targeting the minority community.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the state administration, the signatories said they had received disturbing testimonies from affected people regarding social boycott, denial of burial rights, physical assaults and police intimidation.
According to the activists, Christians in some areas were allegedly boycotted by villagers, while people who traded with them, employed them or provided them shelter were also targeted.
The letter also highlighted what it described as “gruesome” incidents involving the prevention of burials of Christians within village burial grounds and even on privately owned lands belonging to Christian families. The activists said there were cases where bodies remained unburied for days due to opposition from local groups, while in some instances burials were allegedly forced to take place in forest areas outside village limits. Funeral prayers were also reportedly disrupted.
The signatories further alleged that in certain districts the violence escalated into physical assaults on Christians. They claimed that some victims were tied to trees and beaten, while others were allegedly placed inside sacks and assaulted. The letter also mentioned a few reported instances of sexual violence and attempts to burn people alive, which, according to them, were stopped at the last moment.
Expressing particular concern, the activists said many victims had testified that police personnel joined hands with Hindutva organisations to force Christians into signing “compromise” agreements. These agreements allegedly required them to give up their faith and stop collective worship.
The letter also accused the police of registering serious criminal cases against victims of attacks instead of taking action against the attackers. According to the signatories, many of those attacked were detained in police stations and jails, while in some cases the police themselves allegedly played a direct role in intimidation and violence against Christians.
Stating that there appeared to be a “complete breakdown in the constitutional machinery of the state” in relation to Christian minorities, the activists urged the administration to uphold and protect the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens without discrimination based on religion, caste or creed.
The letter was signed by John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander.
