CHENNAI: In a shocking case of mob violence, two youngsters were tied up to an electric pole and thrashed for over nine hours by a group of local residents near Guduvancherry. The mob suspected the duo were burglars. The victims have been hospitalised with severe head injuries. Police said they had to resort to lathi-charge to clear the crowd and rescue the duo. The mob allegedly started throwing stones at the officials during the process. On the other hand, the residents accused the police of inaction in a series of burglary cases reported in their area, which made them take the law into their hands. The incident happened at 6am, Sunday.
A few locals spotted Mohan Raj (19) and Imraan Khan (19) at Vallalar Nagar. The previous evening, the house of Abdul Hameed, who lives in the area, was burgled. As the duo were found lurking around the house, the public suspected they were involved. “The mob tied them to an electric post and started assaulting them. They trespassed into the duo’s homes and started looking for stolen goods,” said an official. The mob continued assaulting the duo till 3.15 pm, by when the police received an alert.
‘Police not taking steps against burglary incidents’
“We immediately rushed to the spot. But the locals refused to hand over the two to us,” said the officer. Initially, a team of four police personnel went to the spot. But they were unable to rescue the duo since the locals pelted stones at them. Another police team headed by a police inspector went to the spot and lathi charged the residents to rescue the two youngsters.
Mohan Raj and Imraan Khan were rushed to a hospital since they had suffered severe head injuries. Both are said to be in critical condition. Police said they were not sure whether the two are involved in the said burglaries and said they will conduct further investigation. The local residents alleged that as many as ten burglaries were reported in the area in recent weeks and police did not take many actions. A similar incident happened in July this year.