Villagers in Dumka district of Jharkhand beat a man to death on Monday and critically injured his companion, accusing them of stealing a goat, The New Indian Express reported. The deceased was identified as Subhan Miyan, in his 30s, and the injured person as Dulal Mirdha.
The police said a first information report has been filed against both the mob and the suspected thieves. “Two persons were intercepted by the villagers charging them of stealing a goat from Jhilmil village under Kathikund police station on Monday,” Dumka Superintendent of Police Ambar Lakra said. “[They] thrashed them badly leading to the death of one of them while the other person has also received serious injuries.”
Two persons, including the owner of the goat, have been arrested. The police is searching for the other accused. Lakra said four people have been identified in the first information report. The report also mentions 15 individuals who have not been identified.
The villagers claimed that they spotted the two men cutting up the goat outside the village, NDTV reported. Some men who had seen the accused surrounded them and began to call them thieves. Soon, a crowd gathered and the two were allegedly dragged into the village and tied to a tree, following which they were soundly thrashed.
There have been several cases of mob lynchings this year. In April, two brothers who had recently been released from prison in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak were beaten to death in Baksa district of Assam, allegedly over a “village enmity”.
In February, the West Bengal Police booked five people in Malda district for lynching a farmer because his seven-year-old son damaged a mobile phone.
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!