A 35-year-old man who had gone to Baruipur, in South 24-Parganas district,around 30km south of Kolkata, on a joyride on his motorcycle was allegedly lynched on Thursday night after residents of the area apparently mistook him for a thief.
An officer of the Baruipur police district said the residents’ suspicion had aroused after they spotted Avik Mukherjee, a promoter from Netaji Nagar near Tollygunge, and the woman roaming around at 1am.
Mukherjee was taken to a government hospital in Baruipur where he was declared dead.
“A murder case has been started against unknown persons. We want to send a very strong signal against such incidents. We have started an investigation to identify the persons involved in the lynching,” the officer said.
Mukherjee was attacked in the Begumpur gram panchayat area. The police rushed to the spot after coming to know of the incident but by then Mukherjee had been critically injured.
The woman who was with the promoter had hidden in a house in the village. She was later handed over to the police.
“The victim’s family has been informed about the death. We have talked to the woman who was with the victim to know more details about the incidents that led to the mob attack,” the officer said.
Her mother, however, is said to have told the police that her daughter was undergoing psychiatric treatment and her statements might be inconsistent.