Police, on Sunday, arrested 23-year-old Pappu Mondal for allegedly lynching a 24-year-old man—identified as Tabrez Ansari— at Dhatkidih village under Seraikela police station area on the night of June 18, along with others.
The victim was a resident of Kharsawan. Tabrez was caught after stealing a motorcycle, a purse, a voter I-card and cellphone from Dhatkidih along with two of his associates. He was nabbed by a group of villagers who had also allegedly forced him to chant 'Jai Sri Ram' and 'Jai Bajrangbali.'
The villagers, led by Pappu Mondal, had subsequently tied Tabrez with a cemented pole and had assaulted him throughout the night. The villagers had subsequently called in police on June 19 morning and handed him over to them.
The police sent Tabrez to Seraikela Divisional Jail after a medical check up and produced him before a judicial magistrate the same day.
Later on Friday night, Tabrez's condition deteriorated leading the jail administration to send him to Sadar Hospital, Seraikela where he breathed his last.
The police and hospital authority had subsequently referred him to Tata Main Hospital, where the doctors on emergency duty declared him as brought dead.
The police took the body and sent it to the Sadar Hospital in Seraikela for a post-mortem which was done under a three-member medical board on Saturday afternoon.
Kumar said, in this connection, a case of murder was registered against 15-16 people on the FIR lodged by Tabrez's widow Saista Perveen.
"After the registration of FIR, we started searching for the assailants and arrested one of them, identified as Pappu Mondal of Dhatkih village," said the senior police officer.
"We are investigating the incident and it is very early to comment. The family members of the victim revealed about the assault and produced a video clipping of Tabrez being assaulted only after his death. Based on that, we had already registered a case of theft against Tabrez. While arresting him, we asked the victim's family members to lodge an FIR in connection with the assault meted out to the victim," said the SDPO.
