A mob lynched two men accused of raping and murdering a girl in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tezu on Monday, Hindustan Times reported. The mob broke into the Tezu police station and dragged 30-year-old Sanjay Sobor and 25-year-old Jagdish Lohar out before beating them to death, police said.
The two were accused of abducting and raping the girl on February 12. The girl’s body and severed head were found at a tea garden in Namgo village, where she was reported missing. The two were arrested on February 18.
The mob fled after beating the two accused to death and no arrests have been made. “A mob of nearly 1,000 people attacked the police lockup and took away the two accused. Some policemen have also sustained injuries in the attack,” Deputy Inspector General Aaid Apur Bitin told the daily.
Chief minister Pema Khandu condemned the rape as “barbaric” and the lynching as “unfortunate”. “Our rules and regulations do not allow us to take the law into our hands,” Khandu said.
“I have placed three officers on suspension and ordered for magisterial inquiry. The Superintendent of Police has been transferred,” Khandu told India Today.
In 2015, a mob lynched an alleged rapist in Dimapur. The accused, from the neighbouring state of Assam, was being taken out of the city prison Central Jail when he was attacked.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!