Trader burns youth with cigarette

A trader injured a youth by burning him with cigarettes after he suspected him to be mobile thief.

The victim was also beaten up by the trader indiscriminately and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The incident occurred at Hatuganj area of Usti in South 24 Parganas.

Police said that the a mobile phone was stolen from the shop of one Kader Khan and when he realized that, the shop owner found Saifuddin Ghorami, the victim, was leaving the place hastily. This aroused the suspicion of the trader who chased and caught him. 

The accused had asked him whether he had stolen the mobile phone. When the victim denied the charges, the accused started beating him up, considering him to a thief. Some of the friends of the accused trader also joined hands with him and beat up the victim. The victim was seriously injured in the incident.

Police said that the accused had tied the victim up with a rope and beat him up with stick and then 

had burnt him with a lit cigarette. The local people later rushed to the spot and rescued the victim in serious condition. They took him to a nearby hospital where the victim has been undergoing treatment. He is still under mental trauma for what he had gone through. Though, no mobile phone was recovered from his possession.

Police came to know in the investigation that the Saifuddin is a helper. His family members told the police that the victim was running with some food after he was already late to join duty. The family members of Saifuddin also lodged complaint in the Usti police station in this connection. The accused trader has been absconding since the accident had taken place, police said. The investigating officers are conducting raids to nab the culprits.