A youth, who was on Saturday afternoon brutally assaulted by a mob on suspicion of theft at Aambazar, the wholesale mango market, at Malda’s Englishbazar, died at night.
Another youth, who was accompanying him, also suffered serious injuries in the same mob violence.
Police swung into action after the family of the deceased Samjan Sheikh, 28, lodged an FIR against unidentified persons.
Three persons have been arrested so far.
The three arrests apart, the police are scanning CCTV footage to identify others involved in the lynching.
According to sources, both Sheikh and Ajoy Harijan had been moving around “in a suspicious manner” at Aambazar when they were cornered by
a mob.
It is still not clear how the allegations of theft against the duo emerged and why the situation escalated out of control so swiftly.
Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the Malda superintendent of police, said a mobile team from Englishbazar police station rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information about the incident.
“Samjan Sheikh, 28, of Maheshmati, and Ajoy Harijan, in his late twenties of Lalkuthi in Englishbazar, were rescued by police from the wholesale mango market and immediately taken to the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH),” a police
source said.
“Both had suffered grievous injuries from the mob assault. After primary treatment, doctors discharged them, and they were taken into police custody for safety,” he said.
“But late at night, Sheikh suddenly fell ill inside the police station and became unconscious. Sheikh was rushed to MMCH again. However, this time doctors on duty declared him dead on arrival,” the police source said.
His body has been sent for post-mortem.
Sheikh’s wife, Kaifa Khatun, lodged an FIR with Englishbazar police, alleging mob lynching.
“A specific case has been registered. During investigation, we arrested Pintu Mandal, Sujan Ghosh and Raja Ghosh for their alleged involvement in the lynching. They will be produced in court and taken in police custody for further interrogation. We are examining the CCTV footage to identify the remaining accused,” SP Yadav said.
Arrangements are also being made for a magisterial inquest and videography during the post-mortem, the SP added.
