19-year-old Govinda Majhi of Ramnagar, Ishwor Municipality-9 of Sarlahi is undergoing treatment at the Siddhivinayak Polyclinic in Bayalbans for two days as he was severely beaten on the suspicion of theft on Dashain, October 26. On his way home after watching dance, he sat down to defecate in a pond near the road and saw some people fleeing from a nearby bush. But the villagers even after investigating mistook him as a thief and beat him indiscriminately.  

According to the Majhi, the villagers repeatedly injected him in the leg, electrocuted his body, tied his neck with a rope and physically tortured him to force him to admit all the thefts in the village before. According to victim’s mother, Govinda was beaten again by bamboo stick by people ordered by Ward Chairman Amirilal Sah on Tuesday morning, October 27.

When asked about the incident, Ward Chairman Amirilal Sah said that Govinda was beaten up as he was found red-handed while stealing and also 14 burglaries took place in the ward office and other houses of the villagers in the past three months and around 25 lakhs amount was looted.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh Rathore of the District Police Office Sarlahi said that it is illegal to beat anyone on the basis of suspicion and whoever is guilty will be prosecuted according to the law. He said that a request was received from both the perpetrator and the victim.