In a shocking and controversial development, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government, alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has sparked outrage by announcing compensation for the family of a man accused of attempting to rape a tribal woman in Bokaro district. The accused, identified as 24-year-old Abdul Kalam, alias Manu, of the Siddiqui caste, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Paik Narayanpur village under Nawadih block on May 9, 2025, following the assault.
The government’s decision to prioritise aid for the accused’s family while remaining silent on support for the tribal victim has drawn sharp criticism, with accusations of vote bank politics, Muslim appeasement, and neglect of tribal rights.
A Tribal Woman’s Ordeal
According to police reports and local accounts, the incident occurred in Kadru Khuttha village, near Paik Narayanpur, when a tribal woman went to bathe in a pond. Abdul Kalam, who was reportedly working in the village, molested the woman and attempted to rape her. The woman’s screams alerted nearby villagers, who rushed to the scene. Enraged by the assault, the villagers apprehended Kalam, tied him to a tree, and beat him severely. The assault was so brutal that Kalam succumbed to his injuries.
A viral video circulating on social media purportedly shows a mob hitting Kalam with sticks, kicking him, and asking him to confess to the crime. Bokaro Superintendent of Police (SP) Manoj Swargiary confirmed the authenticity of the video, stating, “There is no need to send the video to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), as we are identifying the suspects using the video itself.”
The police have arrested two individuals in connection with the lynching, and further action is underway as per directives from the Police Headquarters (PHQ).
Sub-Inspector (SI) Nitish Kumar provided additional details, stating that police received information about the mob attack and immediately rushed to the scene. They transported the injured Kalam to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Two First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in the case, with individuals booked for the alleged lynching.
Government’s Response: Compensation for the Accused’s Family
In a move that has stunned observers, the JMM-led Jharkhand government and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced substantial financial and employment aid for Abdul Kalam’s family, framing the incident as a case of “mob lynching.”
Jharkhand’s Health Minister and Congress MLA Dr. Irfan Ansari, who has been vocal about the case, posted on X on May 9, 2025, detailing the support provided to Kalam’s family.
बोकारो जिले के नवाडीह प्रखंड अंतर्गत पैक नारायणपुर गांव में मॉब लिंचिंग में 24 वर्षीय अब्दुल कलाम उर्फ मानु की नृशंस हत्या की सूचना मिली थी। आज जिले के सिविल सर्जन, जिला प्रशासन, डीएसपी, थाना प्रभारी और स्वास्थ्य विभाग के तमाम अधिकारियों के साथ पीड़ित परिवार से मिलकर हरसंभव सहयोग… pic.twitter.com/hzieiXHyVT
— Dr. Irfan Ansari (@IrfanAnsariMLA) May 14, 2025
Ansari wrote, “It was reported that 24-year-old Abdul Kalam alias Manu was brutally murdered in mob lynching in Paik Narayanpur village under Nawadih block of Bokaro district. Today, the Civil Surgeon of the district, District Administration, DSP, Police Station Incharge, and all the officials of the Health Department met the victim’s family and assured them of all possible help. I hugged the grief-stricken mother and tried to share her grief. Imagine what a mother must be going through whose young son was brutally killed in front of her. The mind gets disturbed just thinking about it.”
The announced aid includes:
1) Rs 4 lakh as compensation under JMM Government.
2) Rs 1 lakh as financial assistance from Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
3) Rs 1 lakh from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
4) A job for one family member through outsourcing in the Health Department.
5) Additionally, the Siddiqui community has pledged Rs 51,000 to Kalam’s family.
Bringing the total financial aid to Rs 6.51 lakh. Ansari emphasised that “criminals have no religion” and vowed that the culprits responsible for the lynching would face justice. He directed the district administration to ensure punishment for those involved, stating, “If someone has committed a mistake, there is a law for that—the court has the right to punish, not the mob.”
Silence on the Tribal Victim
Notably, neither Chief Minister Hemant Soren nor Rahul Gandhi has met the tribal woman who was allegedly assaulted, nor have they announced any compensation or support for her. This glaring omission has fueled accusations that the government is prioritising vote bank and Muslim appeasement over justice for the tribal community.
Political Backlash: “Compensation for the Rapist, Silence for the Victim”
The government’s actions have drawn fierce criticism from opposition leaders, particularly Babulal Marandi, the Leader of the Opposition in Jharkhand and a prominent BJP figure. In a scathing post on X, Marandi condemned the government’s response, writing, “Compensation for the rapist, silence for the victim, is this Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand model?”
Marandi elaborated, “In Bokaro’s Kadru Khuttha village, a tribal woman had gone to take a bath in a pond. Abdul Kalam, who was working in the village, molests the woman and tries to rape her. The woman screams, the villagers gather, and the accused is beaten up badly. He dies during the beating. The incident is sad because taking the law into one’s own hands is not right. But even more shameful was the reaction of the Jharkhand government and Congress leaders who forgot the victim and showered all their sympathy on the man who wanted to rape a tribal woman.”
“दुष्कर्मी के लिए मुआवज़ा, पीड़िता के लिए मौन,यही है हेमंत सोरेन का झारखंड मॉडल?”
बोकारो के कडरूखुट्ठा गांव में एक आदिवासी महिला तालाब में स्नान करने गई थी। वहीं गांव में काम कर रहा अब्दुल कलाम, महिला से छेड़खानी करता है और दुष्कर्म की कोशिश करता है। महिला चिल्लाती है, ग्रामीण… https://t.co/mkouJORQRz
— Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal) May 16, 2025
He accused Congress MLA Dr. Irfan Ansari of turning the case into a narrative of “Muslim persecution” by labelling it a mob lynching, thereby giving the incident a communal colour. Marandi further criticized the government for its “vote bank appeasement,” alleging that the state has declared the family of a “rapist” as the victim’s family because the accused belonged to a “politically protected community.”
Marandi posed pointed questions to the Soren government: “Are tribals now second-class citizens in this state? Has the identity of tribal women now become a ‘second priority’ for your politics? Or are they silent simply because this issue goes against the ‘secular narrative’?” He accused the government of turning a “deaf ear” to the cries of the Adivasi woman, prioritising the accused’s identity over justice.
Marandi’s post highlighted this concern, stating, “Leaders like Dr. Irfan Ansari rub salt on the wounds of the tribal society by giving a communal colour to the issue, while the Jharkhand government is completely engaged in vote bank appeasement. The Jharkhand government turned a deaf ear to the cries of an Adivasi woman – just because the identity of the accused matched their ‘vote bank’.”
Police Investigation and Legal Proceedings
The Bokaro police are actively investigating the case, with SP Manoj Swargiary confirming that two arrests have been made in connection with the lynching. The viral video is being used to identify additional suspects, and further arrests are expected. The police have registered two FIRs, one related to the lynching and another likely pertaining to the alleged assault on the tribal woman, though details of the latter remain limited.
SI Nitish Kumar reiterated that the police acted promptly upon receiving information about the mob attack, but their efforts to save Kalam were unsuccessful. The investigation is ongoing, with the police emphasising that they will follow PHQ directives to ensure justice.
