Patna, May 9: Four bank robbers and a thief were beaten to death in Bihar today in two separate incidents of vigilant justice — taking the death toll to 30-odd cases in the past year.

In Siwan, Chand Quereshi (29), was beaten to death right in front of Siwan police station early in the morning. The incident took place around 3am when Quereshi broke into the Jai Prakashnagar residence of Vinod Mehta under Town police station, about 150km from here.

After Quereshi, who worked in a Siwan hotel, broke into Vinod’s home, the family woke up and raised alarm. Pramod Kumar, a resident in the same neighbourhood, told The Telegraph: “Some 10 to 15 neighbours rushed to the house, overpowered the thief and beat him up till he fell unconscious.” Vinod Shah and the other attackers handed him over to the Town police around 7am after he had gained consciousness. He was sent to Sadar hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Doctors said the patient suffered internal injuries leading to his death.

At Buxar, four robbers were beaten to death by a mob, while another drowned in the Ganga while trying to escape the crowd. The robbers — Shivadhar, Mahendra, Chunnu, Pappu, Manoj and two unidentified men — were part of a group of seven, who were trying to flee after a loot this afternoon.

Witnesses said the incident occurred around 1.30am near Durga More of Chausa village (150km from here) — where the battle of Chausa was fought — when the seven tried to flee with Rs 4,40,600 from a branch of the State Bank of India at gunpoint.

When the bank’s guard, Nand Kumar (55), tried to stop the robbers one of them shot Kumar at close range. Nand Kumar later died in the local government hospital. The alarm alerted residents and they chased all seven and overpowered six of them within 500m from the bank. A mob of 100 started beating the men up and attacked them with bricks, stones and sticks — anything they could lay hands on.

The police, however, managed to save two and took them in custody. Another robber, who had jumped into the adjoining Ganga with the loot money, drowned.

Buxar superintendent of police Amit Jain said: “Manoj and Pappu are in police custody and would be quizzed.”