Two lynched on mere suspicion of being cattle thieves

Kolkata: Two persons were lynched at Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri early Sunday morning on mere suspicion that they were stealing cows.

Police said that the incident took place at Dadan II village near Dhupguri.

Preliminary investigation revealed that three persons were travelling in a mini-truck in which there were around seven cows.

While crossing an area at Dadan II, the driver of the vehicle had somehow lost the way and kept moving around the place.

Some local people noticed the mini-truck moving around the same place and approached it. Finding the people approaching them, the driver of the truck accelerated and attempted to flee. This led to a section of local people chasing the truck.

The driver had failed to move out of the place and two of the three people in the mini-truck were caught.

Suspicion of the local people intensified when one of them fled the place instead of clarifying their queries.

The mob started beating up the two of them till they lost consciousness. Police went to the spot soon after receiving the information and rescued both of them.

The duo was taken to a hospital in the area where both of them were declared brought dead.

Police initiated a probe in this connection but it is yet to be ascertained whether the allegation against the victims of stealing cows is true or not. The police are also trying to find whether the victims had bought the cows and were taking them for the purpose of farming.

The police are trying to find out the third person, who was accompanying the victims in the mini-truck, to ascertain the exact reason behind the incident.

Police are keeping a watch to avoid any further deterioration of the situation.