In another incident of mob violence in West Bengal, a man died after he was beaten up by a group on suspicion of theft. This comes on the heels of a similar attack on a couple in North Dinajpur, a video of which went viral and stirred a loud political debate.
Two young men, Sourav Shaw and his friend, were allegedly beaten by a mob on suspicion of theft in the Jamboni area on June 22 in Jhargram district. Sourav succumbed to his injuries after nine days in the hospital, while his friend remains in critical condition.
The latest incident occurred when Sourav and his friend were returning from a ride on his mother's scooty. According to local reports, there were allegations of theft from a car parked near a construction site. Noting the duo in the area, the mob targeted them and attacked, according to their family.
Police intervened upon receiving information and rescued the injured youths and they were taken to hospital. Sourav died during the treatment.
"A complaint was received against unknown persons six days after the incident. Two people --Mahendra Mittal and Dactar Soren-- have been arrested so far," Jhargram SP, Arijit Sinha, informed.
Referring to the North Dimapur incident, Union Minister and BJP chief JP Nadda targeted the Mamata Banerjee government, saying, "A horrific video has come to light from West Bengal, reminding of the brutalities that exist only in theocracies. To make matters worse, the TMC cadre and MLAs are justifying the act".
"Be it Sandeshkhali, Uttar Dinajpur or many other places, Didi's West Bengal is UNSAFE for women," he wrote on X.
12 mob violence incidents in 1 week
Notably, the state has witnessed a rise in mob violence incidents over the past week. At least 12 such incidents, including some resulting in fatalities, have been reported.
Hooghly, June 30
A young man, Ashish Baul Das, was beaten to death in the Hooghly district on June 30. Sources claim the incident occurred after an altercation between the victim and a group of men over a minor bike accident.
Eyewitnesses stated that Ashish's bike hit the vehicle of another man who was in a drunken state. According to locals, there was already tension between the two groups over playing loud music. After the bike accident, a few drunken men started beating Ashish Baul Das.
He was rescued and taken to the hospital by locals. However, he died on Saturday night. The police have arrested two persons in connection with this incident.
Kolkata, June 29
A man was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of mobile theft in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area. The victim has been identified as Prasenjit Mondal. Police arrested three persons, including one Bangladeshi national, in connection with this incident. The deceased was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. The hospital authorities informed the police about the incident.
Chopra, North Dinajpur, June 28
A couple was allegedly beaten up by local Trinamool Congress strongman Tajmul Haque, also known as JCB, in the North Dinajpur district on June 28. In a viral video, a man is seen thrashing the couple with a bamboo stick while the woman is seen writhing in pain. The Trinamool leader was arrested after the video went viral.
Kolkata, June 28
A TV mechanic in Kolkata was beaten to death by a group of students on suspicion of being a mobile thief. The incident took place at Udayan Hostel in the Bowbazar area, where a mobile theft had been reported. The deceased was seen roaming aimlessly around the hostel, prompting the students to question and then beat him. He was rescued by the police and taken to the hospital, where he later died. Kolkata police have arrested a total of 14 students in connection with this incident.
Coochbehar, June 27
West Bengal Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that a woman worker of BJP's minority Morcha was dragged for a kilometre and thrashed by “goons of the state ruling party” in Coochbehar. However, police dismissed the political angle, stating that the incident occurred due to a grudge within her family. Three women have been arrested in connection with the incident.
North 24 Parganas
At least six incidents of mob violence have been reported from the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. All incidents occurred over suspicions of child lifting. For the past eight days, rumours of child lifting have spread across the district, leading to mob attacks in areas such as Barasat, Gopalnagar, Gaighata, Bongaon, Barrackpore, and Ashoknagar. Police rescued all the victims and transported them to hospitals for treatment. During one of the rescues, a police vehicle was vandalised by the mob.
