Three suspected thieves were lynched by a mob at Vishunganj village in Gaya district late on Sunday night.

One of their associates was however rescued by the local police and subsequently admitted to the hospital for treatment. Police said the four men had barged into the house of a local mukhiya (panchayat head), Ajay Kumar Gupta, around midnight on Sunday and collected cash and ornaments worth over Rs 8 lakh. They also assaulted inmates of the house before fleeing.

The robbers also waylaid some kanwarias (devotees) and robbed them of their belongings. One of the robbers allegedly opened fire when the devotees offered resistance. On hearing the gunshot, some residents rushed to the spot and caught the alleged robbers. While three of them were beaten to death, the police saved the fourth one.

Out of the three who were lynched, two of them have been identified as Kadar Khan and Sadab, both residents of Khera village under the jurisdiction of Shahjehanpur district in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The identity of the third deceased, suspected to be a resident of Badayu in UP, is yet to be ascertained.

Police said the critically injured, identified as Aslam, has been admitted to a Gaya-based hospital. Maharaj said instructions have been given to the police station concerned to lodge a case of murder against half-a-dozen residents.