2022 Seoni lynching
| Date | 3 May 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Simaria |
| District | Seoni |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 21.8113°N 79.4974°E View on OpenStreetMap |
| Victims |
|
| Killed | 2 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Alleged trigger | Cow slaughter |
| Allegation | The attackers accused the men of killing a cow and smuggling its meat |
| Legal status | 14 people arrested by May 2022 and a state SIT formed; no later court outcome reported |
The 2022 Seoni lynching was the killing of two Adivasi men, Sampat Batti and Dhansa Inwati, by a group of men in Simaria village, in the Kurai police station area of Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh, in the early hours of 3 May 2022, on suspicion of cow slaughter. A third man was injured.[1][2] Police arrested 14 people within days, and the state government set up a special investigation team.[3][4]
Incident
Between about 2:30 and 3 am on 3 May 2022, a group of 15 to 20 men went to Simaria village, in the Kurai police station area of Seoni district. According to Additional Superintendent of Police S. K. Maravi, the group went to the victims' house, accused them of killing a cow and assaulted them. Sampat Batti, a resident of Sagar, and Dhansa Inwati, of Simaria, died on the way to hospital.[1][5]
Brajesh Batti, whose house was near the spot, was also beaten when he tried to intervene. He became the complainant in the case and alleged that the attackers belonged to the Bajrang Dal and had beaten the men with sticks.[2][1] Police said about 12 kg of meat had been recovered from the victims' home, although the local sub-divisional police officer could not immediately confirm this.[5][2]
Investigation and legal proceedings
Police booked nearly 20 people, six of them for murder. On the afternoon of 3 May, residents blocked the Jabalpur–Nagpur national highway, and the blockade ended in the evening after three of the accused named in the first information report were arrested.[1][2] By 4 May police had arrested nine people, and Superintendent of Police Kumar Prateek said a case of murder and rioting had been registered against six of them.[5] By 7 May the number arrested had risen to 14; the accused denied any association with an organisation.[3]
On 14 May 2022 the state government constituted a special investigation team headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajoura, with Additional Director General of Police Akheto Sema and Shrikant Bhanot, secretary of the state board of secondary education, as members. It was asked to report within ten days on the causes of the incident and the actions of the police and administration. The staff of the Kurai police station and the Badalpar police outpost, along with the superintendent of police, were replaced.[4] No later reporting on a chargesheet or trial was found.
Reactions
The state units of the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that the accused were linked to the Bajrang Dal and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of shielding them. Congress state president Kamal Nath sought a high-level inquiry, citing National Crime Records Bureau data showing that Madhya Pradesh recorded the most crimes against Scheduled Tribes. CPI(M) state secretary Jaswinder Singh said the first information report named six accused and ten unknown people.[2][1]
Barghat Congress legislator Arjun Singh Kakodia joined the highway protest and demanded a ban on the Bajrang Dal, compensation of Rs 1 crore for each family and government jobs.[1] Chhindwara legislator Nakul Nath and Leader of the Opposition Govind Singh visited the families, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra commented on the case on social media.[3]
Aftermath
The district administration approved financial assistance of Rs 8.25 lakh for the families of those killed. Sampat Batti's daughter, Sunita, was given a daily-wage job at an Adivasi girls' hostel in Barelipar, and Dhansa Inwati's son, Jaiprakash, a daily-wage job at a higher secondary school in Vijaypani.[5] The Hitavada reported the state assistance as Rs 8.5 lakh, with government jobs for eligible family members.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Scroll Staff. "Two Adivasi men allegedly lynched on suspicion of killing cow in Madhya Pradesh". Scroll.in. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sravani Sarkar. "Two tribal men lynched in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of cow slaughter". The Week. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Our Correspondent. "14 arrested so far, tribal lynching raises political storm". The Hitavada. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ankit Pachauri. "MP: State gov constitutes SIT to investigate lynching of Adivasis in Seoni". The Mooknayak. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Scroll Staff. "MP: Nine arrested for allegedly lynching two Adivasi men on suspicion of cow slaughter". Scroll.in. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2026.