A 20-year-old man identified as Shahrukh Khan was beaten to death by a mob in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, early on Thursday on suspicion of stealing a buffalo. Three persons have been detained in connection with the incident.
The incident happened in Bholapur Hindoliya village where more than 50 persons attacked four young men when they found them in their cattle yard. The youths were thrashed by the mob and handed over to the police later. The villagers have filed an FIR against Shahrukh and two others, alleging cattle theft.
Police say there were three persons in all who were involved in the theft of buffaloes from the cattle yard of a local Gajendra Pal. When they, along with other neighbours Virendra, Khempal and Mukesh Kumar started a hunt for the missing buffaloes, they spotted these four young men trying to cross the Nakatiya River.
The other two alleged thieves Pappu and Abid of the Thiriya Nijawat Khan village knew how to swim and fled while Shahrukh was stranded on the banks.
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The post-mortem report of Khan has revealed that the 20-year-old died of internal injuries inflicted primarily to the liver and kidneys.
The victim’s family members have refuted charges of theft and informed the police that Shahrukh had gone out late night after receiving a phone call from one of his local friends.
