india

Updated: Jul 31, 2019 17:53 IST

A daily wager labourer was lynched in Bengal’s Hooghly district early Wednesday by some of his co-workers who suspected him of stealing mobile phones, police said.

Dipak Mahato was fatally beaten at Kamarkundu in Bengal’s Hooghly district by some of his co-workers who alleged that he entered the tent of a supervisor to steal the latter’s mobile phone.

Mahato and those accused of killing him, were engaged by a civil contractor for a project at Kamarkundu railway station, around 37 kilometres from Kolkata. The labourers live in tents outside the station.

Labourers who witnessed the incident told police that Mahato was tied up and beaten up for hours by some men and left unconscious. Some people took him to Singur government hospital where he was declared dead on arrival on Wednesday morning.

“A case of lynching had been registered. We are investigating the matter. We are also interrogating those who were present during the assault. Seven men have been detained,” said Tathagata Basu, superintendent of police (rural), Hooghly district.

Mahato’s lynching seems to have been sparked by a spate of thefts of mobile phones at the project site.

“Over the last few days, several labourers and employees of the two contractors engaged for this project lost their phones. They all suspected Mahato. We tried our best to save him but failed,” said Washim Ali, a labourer. “We hail from different districts. Mahato was a polite person,” he added.

The labourers have been engaged for a project that involves extension of railway tracks and the platform at Kamarkundu station.

There have been several lynchings in North Bengal in recent weeks. Three men have been beaten to death on suspicion of being child lifters.