BHAGALPUR: A 37-year-old man was thrashed to death by a group of villagers in an orchard at Manmodhachak under Jagdishpur police station area in the district on Saturday evening. Four named accused have been arrested in the case, Bhagalpur SSP Ashish Bharti said on Sunday.
The deceased, Md Afsaar Ansari, belonged to neighbouring Miranchak under Lodipur police station area. The SSP said Afsaar was returning home after visiting his in-laws at Chakfatma. He was talking to a child while taking rest in the orchard of one Shivdani Rai. His mother, in the FIR, alleged that Kundan Yadav of Chakfatma and Mohan Rai, Pappu Rai and Kartik Rai of Manmodhachak killed her son by spreading a rumour that he was a child-lifter. Afsaar had head injury and when police reached the spot, he was dead, the SSP said.
The SSP said when the villagers saw Afsaar talking to the child and accused him of trying to lift the minor, he attacked them with some traditional weapon. That infuriated the villagers, who attacked and assaulted him, leading to his death.
According to sources, Afsaar worked as a labourer and was killed out of personal enmity with some people in the two villages.
This story first appeared on indiatimes.com