Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday told that the men accused of lynching three men in Palghar have been arrested and are in jail.
He also said that he spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the development and assured him that he will look into the matter.
The horrific incident took place on Thursday night at a place which is barely 125 km from Mumbai. Three men who were killed in the incident included two sadhus, while the third was the driver of the car they were travelling in.
More than a score of people were taken into custody since the incident took place.
Addressing the situation through a video, Maharasthra CM said the villagers heard rumours about the presence of thieves in the area and thought they were the culprits.
“Don’t make it communal. There is no communal angle involved,” he said
The village lies near to the border of Dadra Nagar Haveli and the victims were trying to cross over when they stopped by the police on that side. They had to return to Maharashtra and were trying to take another route when they got attacked, they said.
The incident is of Gadchinchale village where locals armed with sticks and stones were seen attacking a police team as they tried to rescue the men.
In one of several videos of the assault, a man can be heard shouting “Oye, isko maro (Hey, hit him)”. The 70-year-old can be seen begging for his life.
In another video, villagers were seen attacking a police car, shattering its windows and windshield and pushing it till it rolls over.
“I want to appeal to everyone to not believe in rumours. No one is coming to steal from your village or take your child’s kidneys. Villagers have taken the matter into their hands and we will take necessary action,” NDTV quoted District Collector Kailash Shinde as saying.