Mob Lynches Student to Death in Manipur for Suspected Vehicle Theft

In yet another case of alleged mob lynching, a 26-year-old student was killed in Manipur’s Imphal West district on Thursday on suspicion of vehicle theft. On Friday, five people were arrested for the lynching, including a personnel of India Reserve Battalion (IRB), the police  was quoted as saying by an Indian Express report.

The victim, Farooque Khan, a management student from Lilong Haoreibi in Thoubal district, was allegedly attacked by a mob at Tharoijam. The mob also destroyed a car in which Farooque and two others were travelling. However, two people accompanying him managed to escape.

The incident, which threatens to spark communal tension in BJP-ruled Manipur, took place at Thouroijam Awang Leikai area.

Registering a suo motu case, the Manipur Human Rights Commission has  directed the Manipur deputy general of police to submit a report by September 22, NDTV  reported.

According to PTI, Imphal West Superintendent of Police (SP) Jogeshchandra Haobijam  has said that along with four persons, suspected to be involved in the lynching case, an owner of a two-wheeler, who had parked his vehicle in a garage, was arrested on Friday.

The accused have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 117 (abetting commission of offence by public or by more than 10 people) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). They were remanded in police custody for four days by a city court, the Indian Express cited the police as saying.

Meanwhile, at a public meeting, a joint action committee of residents of Lilong Haoreibi said that the victim was innocent, and has asked the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. 

On Friday, the residents of Tharoijamon too held a protest at the Patsoi police station against action taken in the case, demanding the release of the five arrested people. The protesters threw stones at policemen, forcing them to fire tear gas. The officer-in-charge of the police station was injured in the attack by the protesters, NDTV reported.