A construction labourer was allegedly beaten to death by a promoter and his co-workers on charges of theft at a multi-storeyed residential building in Jethia of North 24-Parganas district on Monday night.

The incident, which took place two days before the Naihati Assembly by-election, created tension in the area.

Police deployed forces to avoid any law and order in the area that falls under the Naihati Assembly constituency.

Suraj Chowdhury, 27, used to work as a daily labourer under the accused promoter Ajay Roy, while at night he worked as a watchman. Residents of the building, where he worked as a watchman, claimed that Suraj was suspected of stealing decorative lights and plumbing materials.

Family sources said Suraj was beaten up twice. First, he was allegedly beaten up at his home in Chandua village by the promoter and his men after stolen items were found at his home on Monday afternoon.

Later, he was taken to the multi-storeyed building, Loknath Apartment, where he was repeatedly thrashed till his mother and a relative rushed there seeking mercy.

"We rushed there and saw Suraj was being beaten up with iron pipes. We pleaded with the promoter to spare him. But the promoter demanded a few lakhs as compensation," a relative of the victim said.

The elderly mother of the victim shelled out ₹2.2 lakh as the price of her son's life.

"Nevertheless, the assailants continued to thrash Suraj till his condition worsened. The assailants took him to JNM Hospital in Kalyani, where he was declared brought dead," the relative added.

The promoter, Ajoy Roy, now arrested, reportedly has links with the Trinamool, BJP leader Arjun Singh alleged, but local ruling party leaders denied it.

The BJP alleged that Roy's political clout — proximity with Trinamool — gave him the muscle power.

The victim's maternal uncle Kanai Tewari said: "After he was beaten up at his home, they took him away to lynch him at the residential complex where he worked as a guard."

The police have begun a probe based on the complaint by Suraj’s mother Lalita Chowdhury and arrested 20 accused persons, including promoter Roy.

Barrackpore police commissioner Alok Rajoria, however, said Suraj’s mother didn’t mention in the complaint that she had shelled out over money to those who allegedly lynched her son. “But it appears to be true,” Rajoria said. “We have recovered some stolen items from the victim’s home.”

The victim’s mother had refuted allegations of theft and said her son had only brought a piece of steel pipe to repair his two-wheeler.

“He brought it without permission. I confessed it and appealed to the promoter for mercy with folded hands. But the promoter told me to compensate his loss first. I returned home and managed to gather only ₹2.20 lakh with the support of my neighbours. The promoter took the money but did not spare my son,” an inconsolable Lalita said.

Senior BJP leader Singh alleged Roy was close to local TMC leader Rabi Niyogi.