Villagers lynched a youth and critically injured his associate in Kurumgarh area of Gumla district in Jharkhand on Friday, as they suspected them to be behind the gangrape and murder of a 35-year-old married woman on January 8, police said.

The deceased, identified as Lal Mohan Mahato, and one of his associates were allegedly rounded up by a mob in the village and beaten up.

While Mahato succumbed on the spot, his associate was severely injured. He was later handed over to the police.

Gumla ASP (operations) Pawan Kumar Singh said: “It appears to be a case of mob justice. The woman used to go to the forest to collect wood. On one such occasion, the accused had allegedly accosted her. She was later raped and murdered. The villagers had apparently identified the accused.”

Asked whether the decision of attacking the duo was taken in a panchayat meeting, Singh said there was a huge presence of villagers and it appeared to be a case of mob justice. However, it was not a case of rebels holding a panchayat and handing out orders, he added.

Gumla subdivisional police officer Anjani Jha said: “We got the information about Mahato’s death. His associate is injured. However, we have not yet got the possession of the body. We are in the process of reaching the spot.”

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