Patna/Ara: A mob dragged a 50-year-old Dalit woman out of her house, disrobed and thrashed her badly before parading her in the market in Bihiya town in Bhojpur district, around 75km west of the state capital on Monday.

It also torched her pucca house, as well as a few other huts and makeshift shops in the vicinity.

The police present there remained mute spectators while all this happened and ran away.

The woman was injured and administered first-aid at the police station. Reinforcements were rushed to contain the situation.

An FIR has been registered in this connection and a full-fledged investigation has been launched.

Inspector-general of police (Patna zone) Nayyar Hasnain Khan told The Telegraph that in the genesis of the incident lay the recovery of an 18-year-old youth's body from near the railway tracks of Bihiya railway station on Monday morning. He was later identified as one Vimlesh Kumar, also belonging to a Scheduled Caste.

Shobha Kumari, the sister of Vimlesh, too died of shock after coming to know about the death of her brother. Local residents said the youth was on his way to Patna to take admission in the Intermediate course.

Khan said the people of the area were agitating with the body at the railway station since around 10.30am, when suddenly around 3.30pm they alleged that he had been killed by a woman living in a house near the railway tracks.

The mob also ravaged the railway station and pelted stones on the 12791 Secunderabad-Danapur Superfast Express at Bihiya railway station and damaged windowpanes of several compartments of the train.

"The mob accused the woman of indulging in music, songs and prostitution and of killing the youth. It went berserk and started brick-batting her house. The police was holding a peace committee meeting and rushed there but it attacked them too," Khan said.

"Some of the policemen fled, while the mob tried to disrobe the woman and forcibly paraded her in the market. She was also beaten up. Police reinforcements were rushed to the place and they contained the situation. Mild force was also used," Khan added.

The members of the mob tore her clothes on the road in full public view and thrashed her badly while she cried for help and kept repeating that she was innocent and had nothing to do with the murder. However, nobody came to her rescue.

Sources said the police had to fire in the air too. Medical examination of the woman was conducted and an FIR has been registered on the basis of her statement against unknown persons.

However, the police are trying to identify the culprits and a forensic science lab (FSL) team has also been sent there to look into the case and into the youth's death.

"We have suspended the station house officer (SHO) and five constables of Bihiya police station. The woman lived in the house with her elderly mother and three children aged between nine and 20 years. So we don't believe that any prostitution racket was being run from the house," Khan added.