ROURKELA: Police on Friday arrested five persons for allegedly assaulting and parading eight construction workers of West Bengal naked at Sundargarh town.
The accused were part of a mob which stripped the workers and paraded them naked after one of them was allegedly caught molesting a woman on Thursday. They also suspected the workers to be illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and their anger stemmed from the recent targeted attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.
Sources said one of the workers who was engaged in construction work near the Mission Road locality of Sundargarh town allegedly molested a woman. When she screamed for help, locals caught hold of the accused and thrashed him brutally.
Soon, an angry mob of more than 100 people caught hold of seven other construction workers of Bengal who were working nearby. After assaulting the workers, they forced the victims to walk fully naked for some distance. Police had a tough time assuaging the angry locals and after much persuasion, the workers were allowed to complete the march half-naked.
Police said efforts are underway to identify and nab the others involved in the act. Other accused persons have reportedly gone into hiding fearing police action.
Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwakar said the five arrested persons were booked under sections 191 (2), 126 (2), 127 (2), 351 (2), 296, 115 (2), 121 (1), 132, 74, 109, 117 (4) and 190 of BNS among others. They were produced in court and further investigation is underway.
On the other hand, a complaint has also been lodged by the molestation victim’s family against the accused construction worker who is undergoing treatment in hospital for injuries sustained in the mob attack.
The eight construction workers belong to a particular religion and are natives of Murshidabad in West Bengal.