Immeasurable grief and unbridled anger engulfed Govindpur on Friday as more than 500 people from neighbouring areas arrived at its landmark heal hub to pay their last respects to a man they deeply revered.
Two days after Binoy Singh, a septuagenarian German philanthropist of Indian origin, was beaten to death on the premises of Johar Hospital Asha Vihar, a health institution run on charity near Bokaro steel city, the resonating slogan was, "hang his killers".
"He (Singh) was a saint - a good soul committed to the welfare of the rural masses without expecting anything in return. He had been working round the clock for years to improve healthcare in the area. The brutality of his murder (on Wednesday night) will take an eternity to sink in," said Stella Marandi, a resident of Jaridih.
Rameshwar Prasad Mahto of Govindpur said they felt they had lost their only guardian. "Binoy da was approachable 24x7. He always heard us out and tried to resolve our problems, health or otherwise. His killers should be hanged," Mahto's sad voice had more than a hint of anger.
Vice-chairman of Johar Hospital Sukhdeo Rajak, who had lodged an FIR against six persons leading to the arrest of three on Thursday and a fourth on Friday, said Singh's body was cremated in Jaridih after his wife Margaret, son Arun and daughter Usha reached town from Munich, and brother Bipin arrived from Ranchi. Founder member of Johar Hospital Claudia Zechel, who villagers address as Kalyanididi, is expected to reach Govindpur on Saturday.
A resident of Lalpur in the capital, Bipin on Friday lodged a second FIR against the accused six - brother-sister duo Dipak and Rekha Gupta, Shiv Besra and Vijay Murmu, who have been arrested, and the absconding duo Dukhu Besra and Santosh Pandey - with Jaridih police.
The six were among a group of 25 hospital functionaries who were axed by Singh over financial irregularities.
Bokaro SP A. Vijaylaxmi said raids were on to arrest the three other accused. "We are trying to piece together information and find out when and how the gruesome conspiracy was hatched, and who all executed the plan," she said.
