DARJEELING: Three people were arrested on Saturday over lynching of three Muslim youth accused of cow theft in Durgapur village under Chopra Police Station in Muslim-majority North Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
Nasirul Haq (28), Md Samiruddin (32) and Md Nosrul (24) — residents of villages under Chopra and Islampur Police Station limits — were lynched by a mob in Durgapur village on Friday.
“The trio were caught red-handed while stealing cows in Durgapur village and a mob lynched them on Friday. We have arrested three people Asit Basu (28), Ashim Basu (27) and Krishna Poddar (24) based on a FIR lodged by Sunaina Bibi, wife of deceased Md Samiruddin. A case under Section 304/34 of Indian Penal Code has been booked against the trio,” told Investigating Officer SI Pankaj Jha of Chopra PS to the New Indian Express.
Sub-inspector Pankaj Jha clarified that the accused are not members of any organisation and were only residents of Durgapur.
“We produced them in Islampur Court on Saturday. The court has granted three-day police remand of the three accused,” sub-inspector Jha added. He also said that there is no tension due to the lynching and the situation is peaceful under Chopra Police Station limits. The region around Chopra is known for cattle-smuggling across the border to Bangladesh.
The incident comes a day after a man was lynched on a Mathura-bound train in New Delhi on Friday.
While it is believed that the death was a result of an altercation over seats, reports emerged that the mob had attacked alleging them “meat eaters”.