MP: Man allegedly thrashed to death for stealing sacks of gram in Khandwa, probe on

Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 10 : A 28-year-old man was allegedly thrashed to death after he was caught red-handed stealing sacks of gram from a house in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district.

The incident occurred in Chhaigaon Devi village under Chhaigaon Makhan police station limits on Saturday night. The man who died was identified as Sheikh Firoz (28), a resident of Khanshahwali, Khandwa. He worked as a welder.

According to the information, the villagers caught him red-handed while he was stealing gram in the village and they beat him up. When he fainted, they threw him near a river in the village. The police received the information on Sunday morning and took him to the district hospital where he died.

However, the police refused to speak on the incident and said that the matter is under investigation and the reason for the death would be ascertained only after the post-mortem.

Khandwa Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) l Singh Chouhan said, "We received information from Chhoti Chhaigaon Makhan area of the district on Saturday night that four people were stealing gram. When the locals tried to catch them, the thieves ran away from the spot. On the victim's complaint, a case has been registered into the matter and an investigation is underway."

Besides, around 6 am on Sunday, another piece of information was received that an injured person was lying near a river in the village. The Dial 100 team reached the spot and took him to the hospital where he died. A case was registered in this matter as well and it was being investigated, he added.

"The deceased was identified as Sheikh Firoz and had a criminal record. He was locked up at Moghat Road Police Station on charges of theft. The family members of the deceased have also submitted an application into the matter which is also included in the investigation. Police are also investigating whether there is any old enmity or not," the DSP added.

When he was asked if Firoz was caught while stealing and later beaten up for hours, the officer said, "No such fact had come to light as of now. There was no such evidence. Besides, the cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem report, he added.