Man lynched over cattle theft suspicion in Siliguri

PTI, Apr 27, 2026, Siliguri : A man was killed and another critically injured after they were allegedly beaten by a mob on suspicion of cattle theft in Siliguri.

The incident took place on Saturday in North Ektyashal Pipeline area, triggering widespread tension in the locality.

The deceased has been identified as Safiqul Islam (32 years), while the injured victim, Rabbul Haque, is currently undergoing treatment at Siliguri District Hospital in critical condition.

Both are residents of Chopra.

According to police sources, two people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The accused have been identified as Bhajan Roy and Sanjay Barman.

They were produced before a court in Jalpaiguri on Sunday.

Preliminary reports suggest that panic over alleged cattle theft had spread in the area since early Saturday morning.

It is alleged that a cow was stolen from Bhajan Roy’s residence.

Roy claimed that CCTV footage showed three individuals stealing the cattle, following which a search was launched.

Later, Roy and others reportedly spotted the two near the Haidarpara area and suspected them to be the same persons seen in the CCTV footage.

Acting on suspicion, the duo was brought to North Ektyashal, where they were allegedly tied to a post and brutally assaulted without informing the police.

Police from the Ashighar outpost rushed to the spot after receiving information and rescued the two victims.

They were taken to Siliguri District Hospital, where doctors declared one of them dead.

The incident sparked tension in the area, prompting the deployment of additional police forces and central forces to maintain law and order.

Following the incident, police detained 12 individuals after examining CCTV footage from the scene.

After interrogation, two were arrested.

A forensic team also visited the spot on Sunday and collected samples from the location where the victims were allegedly tied up.

Family members of the victims have demanded strict punishment for those involved.

Relatives reached Siliguri on Saturday evening after receiving news of the incident.

It has been reported that the victims were living in a rented house in the Ashrafnagar area of the city.

Police said that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.