The burnt car of student leader Mukesh Singh, who was beaten to death in Jharkhand
Deoghar, Jharkhand:
A Jharkhand student leader and his driver were beaten to death today allegedly by villagers who mistook them for Maoists.
Mukesh Singh, 35, the district president of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), was killed by villagers at Kumarabad, four km from the district headquarter Deoghar where he was headed.
"It was a clear case of mistaken identity," said a police officer.
The police say the villagers were patrolling the area for Maoists, when they saw the activist's car and stopped it. The villagers had long suspected that Maoists were behind a string of robbery, loot and murder incidents in the area.
Singh reportedly tried to argue with the villagers that he was not a Maoist and showed them a sign on his car that identified him as the district president of AJSU.
But the villagers did not let him go. When he finally tried to escape, they allegedly chased him and beat him to death.
Later, the villagers also attacked his driver and killed him before setting their car on fire. So far no arrests have been made.
The AJSU called the incident "politically motivated" and demanded a judicial probe into the killing.
Questioning the police version that it was a case of mistaken identity, the union spokesperson said Mukesh Singh's car was deliberately blocked at a railway crossing so villagers could attack him.
Mukesh Singh, 35, the district president of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), was killed by villagers at Kumarabad, four km from the district headquarter Deoghar where he was headed.
"It was a clear case of mistaken identity," said a police officer.
The police say the villagers were patrolling the area for Maoists, when they saw the activist's car and stopped it. The villagers had long suspected that Maoists were behind a string of robbery, loot and murder incidents in the area.
Singh reportedly tried to argue with the villagers that he was not a Maoist and showed them a sign on his car that identified him as the district president of AJSU.
But the villagers did not let him go. When he finally tried to escape, they allegedly chased him and beat him to death.
Later, the villagers also attacked his driver and killed him before setting their car on fire. So far no arrests have been made.
The AJSU called the incident "politically motivated" and demanded a judicial probe into the killing.
Questioning the police version that it was a case of mistaken identity, the union spokesperson said Mukesh Singh's car was deliberately blocked at a railway crossing so villagers could attack him.
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