Eight killed by India lynch mobs in less than a week

NEW DELHI: Eight people have been murdered by lynch mobs across India in less than a week, officials said Thursday, as law enforcement struggles to curb a recent spate of vigilante killings.

Angry mobs turned on victims in five separate Indian states, many motivated by rumours of child kidnapping or allegations of thievery or sexual harassment. In the capital New Delhi on Wednesday, a 32-year-old man was beaten to death by four men wielding iron bars who accused the victim of harassing a woman, police said.

Three arrests have been made. On the same day in eastern Jharkhand state, two Muslims accused of stealing cattle were dragged from their car and killed by tribespeople in the district of Godda. Local police chief Rajiv Ranjan said four of the attackers — who were armed with bows and arrows — had been arrested and a search was underway for the others.

In neighbouring West Bengal also on Wednesday, a homeless man accused of abducting children was tied to an electricity pylon and beaten to death with clubs. Police said three arrests have been made. The rash of murders followed four lynchings on Friday, including a brutal assault caught on camera that prompted outrage and calls for tougher laws on vigilante assailants.