Three men, including a civic volunteer of the Kolkata police, have been arrested in connection with the unnatural death of a man, who was found unconscious in an autorickshaw parked along Maniktala Main Road in north Kolkata earlier this week.
The victim was allegedly lynched after he was suspected to be a thief.
Police said the mob’s suspicion was aroused after a mobile phone of a resident of the neighbourhood went missing. No phone was found on the deceased.
The three arrested were Jagannath Bhowmick, 27, a civic volunteer, and Biswanath Sai, 30, and Victor Dey, 21. They have been booked for murder.
Amarnath Prasad, 35, a resident of Maniktala, was found unconscious in an auto on Wednesday morning. He was declared dead on arrival at RG Kar Hospital.
“At least three men were directly involved in the fatal assault. They have been arrested. One of them is a civic volunteer,” said a senior officer.
Investigators came to know that rumours had spread in the neighbourhood that Prasad had stolen the cellphone that had been missing.
“He was on the verge of passing out after the assault. Some residents offered him tea. He drank the tea but could not stand for long. He went to sit in an auto parked on the roadside. He died possibly soon after,” said an officer.