3 Bangladeshis beaten to death in India on suspicion of cattle theft

Three Bangladeshis have been killed in a mass beating by locals on suspicion of cattle rustling in Assam’s Karimganj in India. The incident took place in a village near the Bangladesh-India border on Saturday night.

The local police claimed that the Bangladeshis had illegally entered Karimganj district to steal cows, reports Bangla Tribune quoting Indian Express.

Karimganj Superintendent of Police Kumar Sanjit Krishna, in a written statement, said three unidentified Bangladeshis were killed by unknown miscreants on Saturday night in the Bogrijan Tea Estate area under the Patharkandi police station.

“Our investigation has found that the Bangladeshis crossed the border to steal cows from the Bogrijan area,” he added.

“A rope, fence cutter, and wire along with food were found with the deceased. The bodies have been handed over and a larger investigation has been launched,” the statement mentioned.

According to Indian officials, the border in Karimganj is surrounded by dense jungles and tea gardens. The area is located next to the Patharia Reserve Forest.

On June 1, a 42-year-old Bangladeshi man was beaten to death in the same area of Karimganj on suspicion of cow smuggling. The incident took place when four Bangladeshis and two Indians were beaten by locals on suspicion of cattle rustling from a house in the Putni Tea Estate area a few kilometers from the border.

In August last year, a Bangladeshi cow smuggler was killed in an encounter by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) in Karimganj. BSF and police claimed that they opened fire as over 30 Bangladeshis had entered India in order to steal and smuggle cows.