An Indian man who was caught trying to rape a teenage girl is in a critical condition in hospital after locals chopped off his genitals with a meat cleaver.

Suresh Kumar was set upon in Ganganagar, in India's northwestern Rajasthan state, after locals heard the girl's screams for help.

After finding the 40-year-old pinning the girl against a wall, a lynch mob dragged him to a butchers shop where they beat him with sticks for an hour before castrating him.

Suresh Kumar is left bleeding and in shock after being beaten and castrated after locals in Ganganagar, in India's northwestern Rajasthan state, caught him trying to rape a teenage girl

Kumar, right, has visible scratches and abrasions to his face, after being beaten with sticks

Kumar, who is now in a critical condition in hospital, covers himself up, as angry locals watch on

They then dumped the severed remains in the middle of a road and lefta bloodied Kumar nearby.

Aamir Dhawan, 30, said no one 'went to help' Kumar because they knew he had been punished for a 'sex crime'.

Mr Dhawan said: 'We have had a lot of intolerable offences against women in this country recently, with girls being raped, hung, and molested, and it's time it stopped.

'This sends out a very strong message to anyone like that - if you do it you will be punished.'

But the police have called for those responsible to come forward, saying people can't take the law into their 'own hands'.

Kumar, middle, is stripped naked and awaits his fate, as locals record the punishment he is about to face

The spokesman said: 'As deplorable as these crimes are, law and order has to be maintained, and not lynch justice.

'We ask those men who carried out this attack to hand themselves in before we find them.'

Kumar was eventually taken to hospital where doctors described his condition as critical.

The girl involved was treated for shock, and given counselling.

The castration follows a string of violent sex crimes in India that have prompted vigilante justice.

In July, one man was killed and two others were badly hurt after being accused of raping and hanging a seven-year-old girl.

The girl was discovered hanging from a tree near the village of Kaliabazar, West Bengal, and angry villagers quickly rounded up a local 'Tantrik' holy man and his two friends.

The trio were mercilessly beaten. One later died in hospital and the two others required extensive treatment.