Minor lynched on suspicion of theft; police arrests seven

Kolkata: In a shocking incident, a minor tribal boy was lynched on suspicions of theft at a village in Bengal’s West Midnapore. Police have made seven arrests in the case.

The victim, Subha Nayek (13) was accused of stealing a utensil from a neighbour’s home. A kangaroo court was reportedly set up to deal with the matter where it was reportedly decided that the victim be tonsured and

beaten up.

Thereafter, the boy was allegedly tied to a tree and brutally assaulted. He was thereafter dropped at his home where he was found dead. His elder brother is learnt to have lodged a complaint of murder with the police against eight persons at Sabang Police Station.

According to the police, among the eight is a ruling party’s Panchayat member Manoranjan Mal. The police have arrested seven accused, including the Panchayat leader.

The boy was a son of a migrant labourer and reportedly belonged to the Lodha Sabar community. In West Midnapore, a leader of the state’s ruling party is learnt to have assured that law shall take its course and that the guilty persons will be punished regardless of their political affiliations.