india

Updated: Feb 20, 2018 16:34 IST

An alleged rapist and murderer of a 5-year-old girl and his accomplice were beaten to death by a mob in Tezu town of Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, the police said.

According to the police, the duo Sanjay Sobor, 30, and Jagdish Lohar, 25, were dragged out of police custody by the mob and beaten to death on the streets and their bodies were dumped in the market area.

“The incident took place at 12:05 pm. 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,” said Apur Bitin, DIG (Eastern Range), Arunachal Pradesh police.

The duo had allegedly abducted a 5-year-old girl on February 12. Her body was found five days later. The police had arrested the two on Sunday and had produced them in court — which sent them to police custody.

Sobor had reportedly confessed to abducting and raping the child and killing her afterwards with a machete belonging to Lohar. The victim’s naked body and severed head were recovered from a tea garden.

On Monday, a large crowd gathered outside the police lock-up and allegedly dragged away the two accused after overpowering the policemen present.

The duo was taken to a market place where they were beaten with sticks and killed. The mob dispersed from the area before the police could reach the spot.

The police have registered a case of murder against unknown persons and are conducting investigations. No arrests were made till Monday evening.

Chief minister Pema Khandu termed the rape and murder of the minor girl as “barbaric and inhuman” and termed Monday’s incident of the mob killing the two accused as “unfortunate”.

“Our laid down rules and regulations do not allow us to take the law into our hands,” said Khandu while ordering a police inquiry into today’s incident.

Three police officers of Tezu police station have been suspended for failing to stop the mob and the superintendent of police of Lohit district has been transferred.

In 2015, a mob had broken into the central jail in Dimapur in Nagaland and had lynched a rape accused.