Mob lynches pickpocket, cops drag him on bike

BARBARIC MOB: Salim's hands were tied behind his back and he was beaten up mercilessly.

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Nathnagar (Bihar): In Bihar's Bhagalpur district, a chain-snatcher became a victim of mob fury, with policemen just looking on.

On Monday, a man — identified as Salim — was caught trying to snatch a woman's chain in the Nath Nagar area of Bhagalpur. A mob soon gathered and beat up the man. His hands were tied behind his back as the crowd kicked and punched him in the face.

Salim was later tied to a motorcycle and dragged around. The footage shows a policeman riding the motorcycle to which he was tied.

All this while the policemen present there did nothing to stop the mob.

The Bihar Police Department has condemned the incident, saying that it is a mockery of law and order in the state and two policemen — including a sub inspector — have been suspended.

"There is no place for this kind of aggression in our society and we condemn this kind of behaviour. We will first take action against the policemen and also against people who beat up Salim," says Bihar Police spokesperson Anil Sinha.

He added, such policemen give a bad name to the entire force. An enquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Bihar's Home Secretary, Afzal Amanullah, added, "The policeman who was dragging the victim with his motorcycle has been suspended. If a policeman doesn't respect the public, then he has no right to hold that post."

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad lashed out at the Nitish Kumar government saying, "This act was horrendous. That boy was treated in a very inhuman way. This is not the first time that such an incident has happened. In Bhojpur, three members of a family were killed by the police. They were choked using a lathi that was pressed against their throat, all because they were accused of stealing a cow. There was a big uproar in the Assembly regarding that. In Nalanda, a woman was paraded naked. This is what the Nitish Kumar government is doing. This is a 'Jungle Raj' by his government. The policeman who was on the bike should be arrested under section 307. Even the people who were beating that boy should be charged."

Meanwhile, Salim, who is seriously injured, has been admitted to a private nursing home.