A man found dead near a canal at Narkeldanga on Thursday is believed to have been lynched after he was suspected to be a mobile phone thief.
Three men have been arrested.
Sheikh Shamim, 32, a resident of Canal East Roadin east-central Kolkata, was found dead along a canal near his home early on Thursday.
A few hours later, his mother went to Narkeldanga police station and reported an incident that had taken place the night before.
“According to Shamim’s mother, she had received a call from an unknown number on Wednesday night. The caller asked her about a mobile phone and a wallet which he claimed were stolen by Shamim. She went out looking for her son and found him lying near the canal,” said an officer.
Deputy commissioner (eastern suburban division) Priyabrata Roy said the preliminary post-mortem report suggested that Shamim’s injuries were homicidal.
The police tracked the phone number from where Shamim’s mother had received the call and zeroed in on the three men who had allegedly confronted Shamim.
The accused — Dipak Ray, Meherilal Chowdhury, and Vijal Lal — were arrested from their homes near Beleghata and Narkeldanga.