A teenage boy was allegedly beaten to death on Thursday evening in a village near Naihati in West Bengal’s North 24-Parganas district, suspected of stealing mangoes. The incident sparked widespread violence in the area, as angry villagers stormed into an orchard, vandalised property, and set multiple godowns on fire. The victim, Sudipta Pandit, 18, was visiting his maternal uncle’s house in Atisara village under Shibdaspur police station, reportedly for a family ritual. Originally from Basantitala in Kanchrapara, Sudipta had gone to a nearby mango orchard along with a few other minors to collect fallen mangoes. According to the police, the orchard is owned by one Furad Mondal, also known as Farhad. He was reportedly guarding his orchard at the time. Suspecting that Sudipta and his friends had been plucking mangoes, Furad allegedly chased and caught hold of Sudipta while the others fled. He then began to assault the teenager, allegedly punching and kicking him, including a blow to the chest. Sudipta collapsed and was later rushed to Naihati State General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. His family claims he died as a result of the assault.
News of the death quickly spread, leading to a wave of anger in the locality. By midnight, a large mob had gathered and vandalised the mango orchard. Several storage units on the premises were set ablaze, and massive flames were visible from a distance. Police reached the spot in the early hours of Friday and brought the situation under control. Residents of the area have accused the police of initially trying to suppress the incident.
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However, senior officials from the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, including DC North Ganesh Biswas and commissioner Ajay Thakur, visited the spot. “The accused Furad Mondal has been arrested and is being interrogated. The body has been sent for post-mortem,” commissioner Thakur confirmed. A case of culpable homicide has been registered, and investigations are ongoing. The incident has triggered fresh concerns over vigilantism and custodial delay in rural policing.