JAIPUR: A young man was beaten to death in Rajasthan's Dausa district by an angry mob on suspicion of bike theft.
The incident occurred in Bandikui town where a crowd tied the young man to a tree, and beat him. When the police took him to the hospital after his condition deteriorated, doctors pronounced him dead.
Following the incident, the relatives and villagers are staging a sit-in protest and have placed the deceased's body outside the mortuary within the sub-district hospital premises since Thursday evening. An FIR has been registered in connection with this case, naming nine individuals as the prime accused.
According to reports, 32-year-old Dinesh Kumar Meena arrived at the Gullana intersection on a motorcycle on Thursday. After stopping at a shop for water, he travelled a short distance before collapsing.
Locals alleged that Meena was caught while attempting to steal a motorcycle. He was then tied to a tree and assaulted by a crowd. Witnesses said he remained bound for an extended period under the scorching sun, causing his condition to deteriorate.
His family alleged that several people physically assaulted him while he was tied to the tree.
Police said they received information on Thursday afternoon that residents of Panditpura village had detained a suspected motorcycle thief and tied him to a tree. A police team rushed to the spot, untied the man and took him to a sub-district hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Additional Superintendent of Police Shankar Lal Meena said the Baswa police team rescued the man immediately after receiving information about the incident and took him to Baswa Hospital before referring him to Bandikui. However, he died during treatment.
Police have collected several videos of the incident that circulated on social media and are using them to identify those involved. So far, 12 suspects have been detained for questioning.
A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has also visited the scene of the horrific crime to collect evidence.
In protest against the incident, the family members and villagers have presented their demands to the police and administrative authorities. They want all the accused to be arrested within 24 hours; a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be constituted to probe the matter; a government job for the wife of the deceased, Dinesh Meena; financial compensation of ₹50 lakhs for the victim's family; and police personnel found guilty of negligence to be immediately suspended.
The family and relatives of the victim have said that the post-mortem of the body will not be permitted until these demands are met.
Officials, however, say that the actual cause of death can only be ascertained once the post-mortem report is received.
Given the sensitive nature of the situation, heavy police deployment has been stationed within the hospital premises and surrounding areas as a precautionary measure.
The district administration and the police in Dausa are continuously monitoring the situation and are trying to engage with the villagers to resolve the matter. Teams have been constituted to identify and apprehend the accused.