Kabul Miyan, 55, had known the attackers and they were from his community, police said.
Highlights
- Videos show Kabul Miyan being kicked in the face, hit with sticks
- He can be seen telling the mob he has no reasons to steal anyone's cattle
- Attackers can be heard laughing, encouraging each other to thrash him
A 55-year-old man was mercilessly beaten to death by a mob of around 300 over suspicion of cattle theft in Bihar's Araria district. Kabul Miyan was kicked in the face, hit with sticks and repeatedly called chor (thief), show a couple of videos shot by attackers on their mobile phones.
The attackers, led by a man called Muslim Miyan, can be heard laughing and encouraging each other to continue thrashing the man. They even removed the victim's pants as they rained blows on him.
Kabul Miyan's pleas and defence failed to move the mob that didn't take a break until their victim lay lifeless on the ground. Some of them even suggested that the videos are uploaded online.
The incident took place on December 29 in Simarbani village, about 300 km from Patna. While the faces of some of the attackers are visible in the videos, the police are yet to arrest any of them.
In the video, Kabul Miyan, a former village head, in his broken voice, can be heard telling the mob he has no reasons to steal anyone's cattle. Muslim Miyan had earlier reported a case of cattle theft against the victim.
The police came to know about the mob violence two days later, after the videos went viral in the area.
KP Singh, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Araria, said all the assailants were known to the victim and they are from the same community. A first information report or an FIR against unknown persons has been registered and they are looking for the main accused.
A 13-year-old boy was beaten to death in the state's Nalanda on Wednesday, a day after a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was shot dead, police said.
The boy was related to a suspect in the killing of the RJD leader. Indal Paswan was shot dead in Maghda Sarai when he was returning home. Locals, mostly his supporters, attacked the homes of two suspects and set them on fire. The boy was also thrashed, police said.
The opposition has attacked the Nitish Kumar goverment over the deteriorating law and order in the state. RJD leader and the most vocal critic of the Bihar chief minister, Tejashwi Yadav, accused Mr Kumar of turning Bihar into "Lynch-Vihar".
"Nitish government is working hand in glove with criminals," Mr Yadav alleged.
In another tweet, he alleged that Nitish Kumar has turned his party, the JDU, into a shelter for murderers, rapists and criminals.