Gujarat: Man lynched on suspicion of robbery

In the latest incident of mob violence across the country, a man was beaten to death and another person injured on the suspicion of robbery at Dahod district in Gujarat, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the deceased identified as Ajmal Mohaniya was part of a group, comprising over a dozen people, who went to Kali Mahudi village in Jhalod to "commit robbery" late on Saturday night

"When the villagers came to know about their movements, they gathered at a place. As soon as they saw the 'robbers', the mob chased them and caught hold of two of them, while the others managed to flee," said Limdi police station inspector PM Judal.

The villagers allegedly thrashed the two men and injured them seriously by the time the police reached the spot, Judal said. They took both the men to Dahod government hospital, where Mohaniya was declared "brought dead". The injured person, Bharu Mathur Palas, was undergoing treatment, the official said.

Both the men were recently released from the Dahod sub-jail after serving sentences in different criminal cases, he said.

In a statement to the police, Palas said he had met Mohaniya in the jail where they were earlier lodged, a police official said. Both of them had decided to meet at the village when they were attacked by a mob of around 100 villagers wielding sharp weapons, the official said quoting Palas. 

Police have lodged an FIR against around 100 villagers, he said.

Earlier this month, 28-year-old Rakbar Khan was lynched in Alwar district of Rajasthan on suspicion of cow smuggling. A few weeks ago, five nomads were beaten to death in Dhule village of Maharashtra on suspicion of child-lifting. A fortnight ago, a woman was lynched by a mob in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion that she was a child-lifter.