Pirojpur rickshaw-puller beaten to death over ‘theft attempt’

A man died yesterday a day after he had been beaten by a mob over an allegation of theft attempt in Nesarabad upazila of Pirojpur.

Mostofa Choudhury, 34, from Aramkathi village in the upazila, was a rickshaw-puller by profession, said the family.

Taking to journalists, his mother Manjuara Begum alleged Mostofa was returning home from Inderhat area on Thursday night.

On the way, he sat near the house of a villager, Shah Jahan Mollah, in Aramkathi village to urinate, she said, adding that at that time, Shah Jahan started beating him bringing an allegation of theft attempt.

Later, locals followed suit, she said.

The matter went to arbitration headed by Nakitullah, a member of Jalabari Union Parishad, where Mostofa was forced to give an undertaking that he would never steal, his mother added.

Yesterday morning, Mostofa was found unconscious on his bed and taken to Nesarabad Upazila Health Complex where he was declared dead, said Manjuara.

Mostofa’s wife Rashida Begum filed a murder case with Nesarabad Police Station, accusing eight people, including Shah Jahan.

No arrest was made till last evening, said police.