Police said villagers suspected the victim to be a thief, some alleged that he had harassed a pregnant woman that enraged the locals

Five people were arrested and two minors were detained in West Bengal’s Kultali on Sunday (June 14, 2026) after a 30-year-old man from Kerala was allegedly lynched on suspicion of being a thief on June 9.

A senior police officer from the Baruipur sub-division said that the man had come to visit Kultali with some of his colleagues who had been working in Kerala. “Prima facie, the villagers have beaten him to death over suspicion of being a thief. However, some villagers alleged that he had harassed a pregnant woman that enraged the locals. Further investigation is underway.”

The man arrived in Kultali two weeks ago with his friends, police said, adding that the incident took place at a market in the village’s Sankijahan area where he had gone alone on Tuesday morning. Local media reports said the man had lost his way.

“The villagers tied him with a rope and assaulted him. A section of locals said that the man could not clearly explain his identity due to language barrier,” said the officer.

A team from the Kultali police station reached the spot, rescued the injured man, and took him to the Joynagar-Kultali Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

“We have suo motu lodged an FIR and have started the investigation. The reason for his death is not yet clear. The body has been sent for an autopsy. His name is not known. We are speaking to the locals and are trying to trace his friends,” said the officer.

A case has been lodged under the Section of 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.