An Indian mob lynched a Bangladeshi national allegedly for stealing cattle at the Bangladesh-India border in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri.
The incident was reported early on Wednesday.
The deceased has been identified as Md Salam, 32, hailing from Panchagarh district, reports The Telegraph.
India’s Rajganj police have already arrested three people over the incident, with locals demanding the release of the accused.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that there were two to three persons who crossed the international border and sneaked into the village to steal cattle,” The Hindustan Times reported an officer of Rajganj police saying.
“While one was caught by the villagers, the rest managed to escape. The youth, a Bangladeshi national, was lynched,” he added.
According to the Telegraph, Salam and the others reached the cattle shed of resident Nripen Roy.
When Roy and his family members woke up, they raised an alarm which caused Salam and others to flee, leaving the cow.
Salam managed to hide in a plantation that was soon surrounded by the villagers. On Wednesday morning, they found him and beat him to death.
Meanwhile, Udayan Guha, the north Bengal development minister, who was in Jalpaiguri on Wednesday for an administrative meeting, condemned the incident.
However, he raised questions on border vigil by the BSF, the Telegraph reports.
“The BSF should answer how Bangladeshi infiltrated through the border to steal cattle. The incident shows their fallacy in curbing anti-social activities at the borders,” he said.
