GUWAHATI: A 26-year-old Muslim man was chased and brutally beaten to death by a mob in Manipur for his alleged attempt to steal a two-wheeler.
According to a delayed report, the incident occurred two days ago at Tharoijam Awang Leikai in Imphal West district. The mob claimed it had caught the victim, Md Farooque Ahmad of Lilong Haoreibi Mayai Leikai, while he was trying to steal the two-wheeler from the garage of one Moirangthem Girani.
The police arrested five people, including Girani. The victim was grievously injured in the mob attack and succumbed to his injuries on way to a hospital. He was reportedly accompanied by two accomplices who fled the scene in a car while the assault was on.
“The deceased was chased and thrashed to death by the locals for allegedly trying to steal a two-wheeler from the garage of one Moirangthem Girani. We have arrested five people and some more will be arrested soon,” Imphal West Superintendent of Police Haobijam Jogeshchandra said.
Appealing to people to not take the law into their hands, he said the Supreme Court had passed an order in July this year against mob justice.
The SP said an investigation was on to find out lapses, if any, on the part of police personnel. At the same time, he said the cybercrime unit of Imphal West Police was trying to arrest those who had uploaded videos and photos of the incident on social media. Allegations galore that some cops had failed to act on time when Farooque was lying in a pool of blood, injured.
Deputy Inspector General of Police K Jayenta admitted that some precious time was lost in taking the victim to the hospital as the policemen were busy controlling the situation. The locals were pressurizing the police to release the five persons arrested so far. However, Jayenta said they would go by the rule book.