Medininagar 22 Feb: A 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by villagers on suspicion of attempting to steal a tractor battery in Teliyahi village under the Padwa police station area of Palamu district, police said on Sunday.
The incident occurred late Saturday night. Police said they received information around 12:30 am that a man accused of trying to steal a vehicle battery had been caught by villagers.
A patrolling team rushed to the spot and found the victim, identified as Pawan Ram, tied up and severely beaten. He was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Palamu Superintendent of Police Reeshma Ramesan said one accused, Paras Nath Mehta (35), has been detained and a manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining suspects.
“The police have detained one accused so far. It is also suspected that the victim might have gone there to meet his lover and was caught by villagers, who accused him of trying to steal the battery. Further investigation is underway,” she said.
Police have registered an FIR under Section 103(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant provisions. No stolen battery has been recovered from the victim, officials said.
Describing the incident as a clear case of mob lynching, police said a medical board is conducting the post-mortem examination in the presence of a magistrate. The entire process is being videographed and photographed, they added.
Further investigation is underway.
