Kultali (West Bengal): A man from Keralam, who lost his way in West Bengal, was allegedly lynched on suspicion of being a thief. The language barrier had a major role to play in the incident, authorities said.
The West Bengal Police have arrested five people in this connection. Two minors have also been apprehended.
The incident is from Kultali in the South 24-Parganas district of the state.
According to the police, t
he man had gone to the Sankijahan area of Kultali to visit an acquaintance for work-related purposes. He went to the market in the morning but lost his way as he was unfamiliar with the local roads.
He mistakenly entered another neighborhood. Locals saw an unfamiliar man roaming in the area and questioned him. Due to the language barrier, he could not clearly explain his identity or purpose, a section of the locals stated. He was then tied up with a rope and thrashed.
On receiving information, a team from the Kultali police station reached the spot, rescued the injured man, and took him to the Joynagar-Kultali Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The body has been sent for an autopsy.
The arrests were made after the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) on Saturday.
“The cause of death is not clear yet. A case has been registered, a few have been arrested. We are probing the matter further,” an official said, as reported by The Indian Express.
Efforts are also on to determine the identity of the victim and his background.