Two men lynched in Bengal over cattle theft suspicion

The police have arrested 13 people in connection with the case and launched an investigation

Two persons were lynched on suspicion of being cow thieves in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district. According to sources in the district police, 13 people have been arrested in relation to the incident which took place on Thursday.

The incident took place when Prakash Das (35) and Rabiul Islam (41) were transporting two cows in a pickup van which had no registration number. They were intercepted and later lynched by locals at the Putimari Fuleswari village. Das and Islam were residents of Dinhata area of the district.

“We have arrested 13 people in the case so far. We have just now raided the village. It is almost deserted,” superintendent of police of Cooch Behar, Nimbalkar Santosh, told DH.

Police sources revealed that when Das and Islam were passing through Putimari Fuleswari village, the villagers intercepted them. The locals, who questioned the duo, were not satisfied with their answers. They then dragged them down from the vehicle and set it ablaze.

“Das and Islam were then severely beaten up by the villagers with sticks and rods,” the official said.

Both sustained serious injuries during the assault. When the police rushed to the spot and took them to the Cooch Behar Medical College and Hospital, they were declared brought dead.

According to sources in the district police, Das and Islam had past criminal records and both were involved in two theft cases earlier. Being close to the border with Bangladesh, cow smuggling is a major issue in Cooch Behar.