On January 1 her son Rahul was lynched to death by a mob during the Bhima-Koregaon violence.
When the world will be welcoming the New Year with their near and dear ones as the clock strikes 12 am on December 31, 55-year-old Janabai Phatangade will be reminded of the day when one year ago on January 1 her son Rahul was lynched to death by a mob during the Bhima-Koregaon violence.
"At an age when I should be relaxing at home, I have to make arrangements for my son's death anniversary. What can be crueler than my situation?" Janabai said.
After her husband deserted them, Janabai nurtured her sons by herself. As he came of age, Rahul, the elder son opened a garage in Chandannagar area which is around 20 kilometers away from their home in Kanur Mesai village. The younger son, Vishnu joined the police force as a constable.
After joining the police force, Vishnu moved to Pune while Rahul and his mother stayed in their village. On January 1 this year, when Rahul was returning home from his garage, he was lynched by a mob.
"Rahul was my biggest support. He would look after all of my needs. But life suddenly changed after January 1 when the anger of the mob took my son away from me," Janabai said with melancholy drenched in the tears that she tried to stop.
The money with which the state compensated for her loss was far from healing her wounds that will stay for life. "Even if the government gives me crores of rupees, it is worthless for me as nothing will bring back my son. All I want is justice for my son. Even after nearly one year of the death of my son, all the killers of my son are yet to be caught. He will get justice only after all of his killers are sent behind bars," she said yearning for justice as if yearning for water.
So far, three persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of Rahul, and currently, the case is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). When contacted, Sheshrao Suryavanshi, superintendent of police, Pune unit of CID, said, "We have already filed a charge sheet against the three arrested persons. We have also got a video of the attack on Phatangade and with the help of this video, we are trying to identify the other suspects."
Fight For Justice
- On January 1 this year, while Rahul was returning home from his garage, he was lynched by a mob during the Bhima-Koregaon violence
- Janabai seeks justice for her son, Rahul, which she says can be achieved only after all the culprits are sent behind the bars
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 "Janabai Phatangade")
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