A MAN in his mid-twenties was beaten to death allegedly by a group of 20-15 persons in Mograghat, South 24 Parganas district, Sunday. Police identified the victim as Suman Das and said he was attacked as he was suspected of being a thief.
“We have arrested one person for allegedly spreading a rumour on social media that the victim was a thief,” said Diamond Harbour SP S.Selvamurugan Police said. Police said that on Sunday night, some residents people saw Das roaming around and allegedly attacked him. By the time police reached the spot, the victim had suffered serious injuries and the suspects had fled. The arrested accused was identified as Pallav Kanyal, 27. Police took Das to Mograghat rural hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
A police team reached the spot and found out that a message circulated in the area had triggered panic. “A message was being circulated on Facebook saying some outsiders were in the area looking to steal valuables. It sparked panic, leading to the incident,” said an officer.
“We condemn the incident. We are urging local people not to pay heed to rumours. If they find anything unusual or suspect someone of doing something wrong, they must inform police or people like us and wait for them to take action,” said Namita Saha, local MLA.
