A couple was allegedly lynched by a mob in Tehatta, Nadia, on Saturday morning on suspicion of killing their neighbour’s nine-year-old son after a failed trafficking bid.

The mob claimed the couple — Utpal Mondal and Soma Mondal — had abducted Swarnabha Biswas with the intention of trafficking him and murdered the child when locals started searching for him.

Swarnabha, a resident of Jhautala-Nischintapur in Tehatta, went missing on Friday afternoon shortly after having lunch at home. His body, wrapped in a plastic sheet, was found in a ditch near the Mondals’ house on Saturday morning. Enraged locals turned violent and attacked Utpal and Soma.

Residents of the locality alleged that Utpal, who drives an e-rickshaw, had tried to abduct three other children a few years ago.

Utpal used to ferry the three kids to school, but was allegedly caught transporting them to Palashipara in Nadia.

Samir Biswas, one of the residents, alleged that the Mondals were part of a human trafficking network.

“Utpal had been caught trafficking children a few years ago. But no formal complaint was lodged after the children returned safely. This time, too, the couple triedto hand over the boy to a trafficking racket but failed and killed him. They later wrapped the body in tarpaulin and threw it into the ditch to destroy evidence.”

Soon after Swarnabha’s body was recovered on Saturday, the mob dragged the couple out of their home, took them to a community ground and assaulted them.

Police rushed to the spot after being alerted by some residents and rescued the critically injured couple. They were taken to Tehatta Sub-Divisional Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.

The mob also torched the houses of the couple and one of their relatives.

According to police sources, Swarnabha, a Class III student of Nishchintapur, did not return home after going out to play on Friday afternoon. His family and neighbours launched a search but could not trace him. They filed a missing person report at the Tehatta police station on Friday evening.

A social media campaign was also rolled out to trace him.

On Saturday morning, locals spotted his body in a pond near the Mondals’ house, which is adjacent to Swarnabha’s home. Swarnabha’s father Satyen, a television mechanic, did not blame the Mondals for his son’s death.

“He (Utpal) was my childhood friend. I have no evidence to claim that he killed my son. The neighbours suspect their involvement because of the earlier incident when Utpal had taken some kids to Palashipara instead of dropping them at school. I heard he had developed some psychological problem at that time,” Satyen said.

However, Satyen’s wife Pinki said the Mondals could have had a role in Swarnabha’s death.

“The neighbours informed me that Utpal and Soma killed him,” she said.

Asked if there had been any breakthrough in the case, additional superintendent of police Uttam Ghosh said the investigation was still at a preliminary stage.

“It is too early to comment on who killed the boy and how. The incident of lynching is as unfortunate as the murder of the child. The body has been sent for autopsy. We will have to wait until we get the report,” he said.

A police source said the autopsy indicated that he was strangled to death.

“There were strong strangulation marks around the child’s neck. There was no water in his stomach, which suggests that the boy did not drown,” the source said.

Sources said two cases had been initiated — in connection with the child’s murder and the lynching of the Mondals.