New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- A 21-year-old man with nine previous criminal involvements died after he and two others were allegedly thrashed by a group of people on suspicion of attempting to break into a shop in outer north Delhi's Shahbad Dairy area, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased has been identified as Hasan Mangal -- designated 'bad character' by Narela Industrial Area police station.
According to police, information was received around 7 am that a group of suspected thieves had been caught and allegedly beaten by locals in Shahbad Dairy police station area.
A police team reached the spot and found three people injured. They were taken to a hospital, where Mangal was declared brought dead, while the other two are undergoing treatment, officials said.
A relative of Mangal alleged that the infuriated mob continued to assault the three injured even when the victim was seriously injured.
"Someone informed me that my sister's son was assaulted on the road and was lying injured. We were sleeping at that time. When we came outside, we saw a commotion and a large gathering in the lane," the deceased's kin told reporters.
She alleged that when she and other family members approached the mob to find out what had happened, someone in the crowd said, 'You lot are a bunch of thieves.'
"Then they beat us too. He (Mangal) was still breathing, but they kept beating him until he was motionless. Then they left us and told us to go away," the relative told reporters.
Police said the preliminary inquiry suggests around four to five suspicious persons had entered the area with the alleged intention of committing theft and were possibly trying to break open the lock of a shop.
"Hearing the noise, local residents came out and caught the suspected thieves," a police officer said. While some of the suspects managed to flee, three were caught by locals and allegedly thrashed.
Mangal sustained serious injuries and later died, police said.
Five suspects have been apprehended so far in connection with the alleged thrashing, they said.
A crime team inspected the spot and collected evidence, while investigators are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to establish the sequence of events and identify those involved, police said.
Police are also investigating the alleged attempt to break into the shop and the role of the other suspected thieves who fled the spot.
A case is being registered and further legal action will be taken on the basis of evidence collected during the investigation, medical opinion and the post-mortem report, police said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.