Two men were beaten to death on Saturday night in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur over suspicion of van theft.
The incident took place around 9 pm at Burirhat Bottola in Soyar Union, where locals attacked 40-year-old Ruplal Das and 35-year-old Pradip Das.
Police said Ruplal, a resident of Ghonirampur in Kursha Union, worked as a cobbler, while Pradip, from Baluabhata village in Mithapukur upazila, was his niece’s husband and earned his living as a van driver.
According to locals, Pradip had set out from Mithapukur in his van to visit Ruplal’s home to discuss the date for Ruplal’s daughter’s wedding, scheduled to be fixed on Sunday. Losing his way, Pradip called Ruplal from Kazirhat in Soyar Union, and the two began their journey together in the van.
When they reached Bottola on the Taraganj–Kazirhat road, some locals stopped them, suspecting them to be van thieves. The suspicion was fueled by a recent incident on July 28, when a child was murdered in the area and a van was stolen.
Witnesses said locals searched a sack in Pradip’s van and found four small plastic bottles containing what family members claimed was homemade liquor. When one bottle was opened, two people allegedly felt unwell from the smell, further raising suspicion. Believing the two had drugged people to steal vans, the mob began beating them, eventually dragging them to the Burirhat High School field.
Both men became unconscious during the assault. Police rescued them around 11 pm and took them to Taraganj Upazila Health Complex, where Ruplal was declared dead. Pradip was transferred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, where he died early Sunday.
Taraganj police station OC M.A. Faruq confirmed the deaths, saying preparations are underway to file a case over the lynching.
FP/MI
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