An alleged Bangladeshi cattle rustler was beaten to death at a village near the India-Bangladesh border in Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday morning.

Police have seized the body of Md Salam, 32, and arrested three persons.

Salam, a resident of Panchagarh district of the neighbouring country, had infiltrated into Baruapara village in Rajganj block with some others to steal cows on Tuesday night, local residents claimed.

Reportedly, Salam and the others reached the cattle shed of resident Nripen Roy. However, Roy and his family members woke up, raised an alert and gave them a chase. “As we raised an alert, they left the cows and fled,” said Roy.

All but Salam managed to cross the border, sources said, while he hid in a tea plantation at the village.

A group of villagers surrounded the plantation and kept a watch throughout Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, they found him and started beating him up.

Salam suffered serious injuries and died on the spot, sources said.

Rajganj police seized the body and arrested three persons.

Some villagers went to the Rajganj police station, demanding the trio be released. Some jostled with policemen. Additional forces were sent to disperse the crowd.

“Some persons have been arrested in connection with the lynching. Probe is on,” said Debarshi Dutta, the SP of Jalpaiguri.

Udayan Guha, the north Bengal development minister, who was in Japlaiguri on Wednesday for an administrative meeting, condemned the incident but raised questions on border vigil by the BSF.

“The BSF should answer how Bangladeshi infiltrated through the border to steal cattle. The incident shows their fallacy in curbing anti-social activities at the borders,” said Guha.