Outfits host flag rally to press for CBI probe into Ramgarh lynching case

RAMGARH: Amid a huge police presence, hundreds of BJP supporters and socio-religious groups on Tuesday took out the tiranga yatra, armed with national and saffron flags, to demand either a CBI or an NIA probe into the Ramgarh lynching case of 2017. Eleven persons, including a BJP functionary, were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.
Former BJP MLA Shankar Chaudhary, who led the marchers, shaved his head at the Goddess Durga temple here and took an oath that he would not cut his hair and beard till the government announced a CBI probe into case.
The case related to the lynching of Alimuddin Ansari, a meat trader on June 29, 2017, on suspicion of carrying beef in his vehicle. A complaint against them was lodged by Mariyam Khatoon, wife of the deceased. In March, a fast track court convicted the 11 persons, including BJP district media in-charge Nityanand Mahto, to life imprisonment.
After the march, Chaudhary launched a 15-day dharna at Subhash chowk here. Addressing the gathering, the former legislator alleged that Ansari was not lynched by the mob. “Ansari had died in police custody and BJP workers, cow vigilantes were falsely implicated to shield guilty cops. This conspiracy can be unearthed with an impartial probe by CBI or NIA,” Chaudhary said.
Earlier, Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had extended his support to the call for a CBI probe into the lynching case, pointing accusatory fingers at the investigation done by the state cops.