Jamshedpur, Sept. 26: A man was lynched at Lota Pahar near Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum last evening.

The identity of the middle-aged man was yet to be ascertained. Sources said that the villagers mistook the deceased as a criminal and thrashed him to death.

“The victim was loitering around Lota Pahar late last evening. He was spotted by some villagers. Soon a group of villagers, armed with sticks and rods, gheraoed the man and started assaulting him brutally. He died on the spot,” the sources added.

The victim suffered grievous injuries on his head, chest and other parts. The villagers fled the scene after Chakradharpur police reached the spot some time later. The body of the unidentified man was sent for post-mortem.

West Singhbhum police superintendent Akhilesh Jha said investigation was on.