Kolkata: West Bengal Police have arrested five people and detained two minors in connection with the lynching of a man from Kerala in South 24 Parganas district after he was suspected of being a thief.
The incident occurred on June 9, but came to wider attention only after a video of the assault surfaced on social media days later. According to reports by the Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, police registered a case on June 13 after becoming aware of the fatal attack through the circulating footage.
The newspaper reported, citing local sources, that the victim had travelled from Kerala to the Sankizahan area of Kultali for work and was staying at the residence of an acquaintance. On the morning of the incident, he reportedly went to a local market and lost his way. Residents who questioned him were unable to communicate with him because he could not understand or respond in Bengali. This led to suspicions that he was a thief.
A group of locals allegedly tied him with a rope and repeatedly assaulted him. Reports indicate that rumours circulating in the area further intensified tensions, though police are continuing to verify those claims.
The injured man was taken to Jaynagar-Kultali Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police have not yet officially identified the victim. Investigators recovered his mobile phone and are examining it in an effort to establish his identity, confirm his native place in Kerala and reconstruct his movements before the attack.
According to Mathrubhumi, the victim was around 30 years old. The investigation is continuing as police work to determine the full circumstances that led to the mob killing.
Based on The Wire report.