One dead, another injured in separate mob attacks in West Bengal

india

Updated: Jul 23, 2019 02:14 IST

A man was beaten to death on suspicion of being a child-lifter and another was injured in a similar mob attack in two separate incidents on Monday in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.

The incidents took place nine days after a woman was beaten up under similar circumstances in Alipurduar district.

None of the victims of Monday’s attacks could be identified till the time of filing of this report.

The police filed cases against unknown persons.

On Monday morning, residents in the Nagrakata area of Malbazar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district accused a middle-aged man, who was dressed like a woman, of being a child-lifter and beat him up mercilessly.

The mob took him to the railway tracks and stoned him to death.

Debasis Chakraborty, sub-divisional police officer, Malbazar, said, “The allegation the crowd made was baseless. There has been no incident of child lifting in the sub-division.” The police was yet to identify the victim.

In the second incident, a man was beaten up at Badal Nagar in Alipurduar district and later admitted to Alipurduar district hospital.

The attacks took place nine days after a woman was beaten up at Majer Dabri tea estate in Alipurduar.

The July 13 incident led to clashes between two groups and the police had to resort to baton-charge and fire tear gas shells.