Five people have been arrested and two minors detained in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district in connection with the death of a Kerala resident, police said on Monday. Among the accused is one of the deceased’s companions, who brought him to the state as a guest.
According to police, Sukhdeep alias Sandeep, a resident of Kerala, was allegedly beaten to death in Koltali on June 9 on suspicion of being a criminal. He was visiting a nearby market with Hiralal Das, who brought him to his home as a guest. But Sukhdeeb lost his way and wandered into the village of Sankijahan.
Police added that Das, a resident of Koltali, visited Kerala every year for work and brought Sukhdeep home as his guest when he returned about a week ago.
“Das took Sukhdeep to the local market on June 9, but the two got separated in a crowded area. The Kerala resident lost his way and reached Sankegahan, where locals found his movements suspicious. When he was unable to answer their questions, they tied him up and assaulted him on suspicion of being a criminal,” said a district police officer, who requested anonymity.
He added that police and paramilitary forces rescued the man, but he later succumbed to his injuries at Kultali Rural Hospital. Das was arrested on June 13.
“The background of the deceased is unclear. The investigation indicates that he could speak only a few Hindi words and Das knew some Malayalam words. Das claims that they became friends during his visits to Kerala and invited him to his home,” the officer said.
Seven people were arrested on June 13 and 14. While the district Juvenile Justice Board sent the two minors, aged around 15, to a juvenile reformatory, the Baruipur court remanded three men in judicial custody and two in police custody on Sunday.
