Mob kills 19-year-old man accusing him of paddy theft in Chhattisgarh

Police said that they have arrested 12 people, including three women, who were involved in the crime and more arrests could take place in the coming days

A 19-year-old man was dragged from his home and beaten to death around 2am on Monday by a mob that accused him of stealing three sacks of paddy in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, police said.

Police said that the mob assaulted the youth with sticks and rods for nearly four hours, leaving him critically injured. (Representational image)

The deceased has been identified as Kartik Patel and police said that they have arrested 12 people, including three women, who were involved in the crime and more arrests could take place in the coming days.

“The mob assaulted the youth with sticks and rods for nearly four hours, leaving him critically injured. The attackers fled the scene, after they found that Patel was seriously injured,” said a senior police officer.

The officer said that they also assaulted three other youths, who sustained injuries.

“At around 7 am on Monday , family members of Patel found him in serious condition and brought him to a medical facility in Kurud town. After providing initial treatment, doctors referred him to the district hospital in Dhamtari due to the severity of his injuries where Patel was declared dead upon arrival,” said the officer.

The victim’s father, Tulsi Ram Patel, alleged that his son was wrongly implicated in a theft involving rice paddy from a local farmer.

“A group of youths from Dahdaha village accused Karthik of aiding the theft. On the night of the incident, three women reportedly dragged Karthik out of his house, while men armed with sticks stood outside to prevent intervention. When the village Kotwar (Guard), Khelan Devdas, tried to intervene, he was threatened and forced to leave,” Patel told media persons.

Karthik Patel was the only son of his parents and had recently completed his Class 12 education. He supported his family by assisting in farming and household work.

Dhamtari superintendent of police Anjney Varshney said, “ Twelve people, including three women, have been arrested by the police and we are recording the statements of the victim’s parents. A forensic team was sent to the spot on Tuesday and the investigation has started. More arrest could follow in the case.”

The victim’s family has named 12 accused individuals, including Bhikham Sahu, his wife, and others such as Nohar Sahu, Premu Sahu, and Kishan Sahu.