A Kerala man was beaten to death by a mob in West Bengal on June 9 after he was mistaken for a thief, according to reports.
The shocking incident occurred in Sankijahan village of South 24 Parganas district when the man lost his way and could not communicate in Bengali or Hindi. He had left alone for a local market when he wandered to the village.
Though victim was initially not identified, a report by News18 Bangla revealed that the victim was one Sandeep Nair. Police are yet to ascertain his identity.
The 30-year-old man came to Kultali two weeks ago along with his co-worker, Hiralal Das, who is a migrant labourer in Kerala, according to mutiple reports. When Das came to his hometown in June, the Kerala man reportedly accompanied him.
Reports suggest that the victim knew only a few Hindi words and wandered into Sankijahan area alone. The locals grew suspicious of his movements and confronted him, asking him to identify himself. With the Kerala man unable to express himself, the villagers tied him up with a rope and physically assaulted him.
Some of villagers alleged that rumours about his inappropriate behaviour towards a pregnant woman escalated the situation. But police are yet to verify these claims.
The severely injured man was found lying on a roadside and police brought him to Jaynagar-Kultali Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Though police could not initially ascertain how he died, videos circulating online led police to probe the murder angle.
A case has been registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Five people were arrested in the case, with three sent to judicial custody and two in police remand. Two minors accused in the case were sent to a home for juvenile delinquents.
