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PATNA: Left red-faced by the return of a man thought to have been lynched nearly three months ago at Naubatpur , the state police have launched a fresh probe to ascertain the identity of the man beaten to death on August 10.

The deceased was initially identified as Krishna Manjhi, a resident of Nisarpur village in western Patna . Altogether 23 people were arrested after the lynching which took place on the suspicion of being a child lifter.

SSP Garima Malik said a person was definitely murdered by villagers on August 10, but now the question is who was actually lynched that day. “We have started investigation afresh to ascertain the deceased’s identity,” she added.

Naubatpur police station SHO Samrat Deepak Kumar said Krishna was working as a daily wager in Pune. “Someone known to him informed that that his family members had cremated him and even his wife believed he was dead,” Kumar said. However, Krishna returned home after hearing the news of his death, the SHO added.

SHO Kumar said it was Krishna’s wife, father and brother who had identified the body of the person who was lynched on August 10. “There was a tattoo of his name ‘Krishna Manjhi’ on one of the arms of the deceased. It was on basis of this along with clothes that the family had identified the body as that of Krishna,” he said.

The SHO said the family had approached the police when they were on verge of sending the body for cremation after preserving it for the necessary time period as none had arrived to claim it. “There is nothing more the police could do when the wife, brother and father together identified and claimed before police that body was of Krishna,” he said, adding, the partially decomposed was handed over to family after required legal works.

“The body’s photograph is with the investigating officer. However, police don’t have DNA samples as there was no option to preserve it at Danapur sadar hospital where post mortem was conducted,” he said adding photographs of body would be circulated to ascertain deceased’s identity.

