Bengal Man Dies Days After Mob Attack; 3rd Death in 3 Days, 12 Mob Violence Cases in a Week

Kolkata: A man was beaten to death by a mob in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Monday, police said. This follows a similar incident involving an attack on a couple in North Dinajpur, which went sparked a heated political uproar. This is the fourth incident of a man beaten to death by a mob in the state. Similar incidents had earlier taken place in Kolkata, Salt Lake and Jhargram on June 28, 29 and 30.

The state has seen an increase in mob violence over the past week. At least 12 incidents, some fatal, have been reported so far within a week. In West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, at least six incidents of mob violence have been reported, all linked to suspicions of child abduction. Over the past eight days, rumours about child lifting have sparked mob attacks in areas including Barasat, Gopalnagar, Gaighata, Bongaon, Barrackpore, and Ashoknagar. Police intervened to rescue the victims and provided them medical care at hospitals. During one rescue operation, a police vehicle was vandalised by the mob.

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, who is also the state BJP president, slammed the TMC government, alleging that it was failing to control such crimes.
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.

Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said "mass hysteria can only be countered by mass counselling".

Hooghly Abuse

A man identified as Biswajit Manna, a resident of Naita Malpaharpur gram panchayat in Tarakeswar area of Bengal's Hooghly was beaten to death. Two persons have been detained in connection with the crime, a senior police officer of Hooghly Rural Police said, adding that a suo moto case has been lodged by police.

Initial probe revealed that Manna was called by the accused, who were known to the family when he was sleeping at his residence on Sunday night, the police said.

Police said Manna had taken a loan of around Rs 50,000 from the accused and had failed to repay the loan amount. "At his friend's place, the accused tied Manna and continued beating him till he became unconscious. The mother of the victim along with her daughter-in-law somehow rescued him and took him to the nearest hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," they said.

Meanwhile, another man, Ashish Baul Das, was beaten to death in Hooghly district on June 30 following an altercation over a minor bike accident. Sources claim the incident began after Ashish's bike collided with another man's vehicle, who was in a drunken state.

Eyewitnesses reported that tensions between the two groups had already been high due to loud music. After the bike accident, a few drunken men began assaulting Ashish Baul Das. Locals rescued him and took him to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night. The police have since arrested two individuals in connection with the incident.

Jhargram Abuse

On Sunday, days after being beaten up, a 23-year-old man died at a hospital in West Bengal's Jhargram district. An injured Sourabh Shaw was found lying on a road in the Jamboni area near Jhargram town by locals on June 22. He was admitted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. The police registered a case against unnamed persons based on a complaint lodged by Shaw's family on June 27.

Shaw's family, however, alleged that he was assaulted by a group of men engaged by a contractor who alleged that Shaw had tried to steal parts of an earth mover that was parked on the roadside. They claimed that Shaw was out on his two-wheeler for some work, and while returning, he was resting under a tree. The earth mover machine was parked nearby.

Kolkata Mob Attack

Earlier on Saturday, a man identified as Prasen Mondal died after being thrashed by a mob in Salt Lake. He was beaten to death on suspicion of mobile theft in Kolkata's Salt Lake area. Mondal, was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead. Police have arrested three individuals, including one Bangladeshi national, in connection with the incident. The hospital authorities notified the police about the case.

North Dinajpur Incident

On June 28, a couple in North Dinajpur district was reportedly assaulted by local Trinamool Congress leader Tajmul Haque, also known as JCB. A video showing a man beating the couple with a bamboo stick, while the woman is seen tossing in visible pain had gone viral. Following the video's circulation, the Trinamool leader was arrested.

Kolkata's Bowbazar Incident

 On June 28, Irshad Alam, a TV mechanic, was beaten to death at a state-run students' hostel in Kolkata's Bowbazar area. The incident occurred at Udayan Hostel, where a mobile theft was reported. The deceased was seen wandering around the hostel, leading the students to interrogate and subsequently assault him. Police intervened to rescue him and took him to the hospital, where he later succumbed. Kolkata police have arrested 14 students in connection to this incident.

Cooch Behar Incident

West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that a female worker of BJP's minority Morcha was dragged for a kilometre and beaten by "goons of the ruling state party" in Coochbehar. However, police dismissed the political aspect, attributing the incident to a familial dispute. Three women have been arrested in connection with the incident.