2 min readRanchiUpdated: Aug 5, 2026 11:41 AM IST
A man was beaten to death in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Tuesday morning after villagers accused him of confining a minor girl and sexually assaulting her. A top officer in the administration said the allegations of confinement and sexual assault are yet to be confirmed. The father of the man beaten to death has filed a police complaint, and an FIR has been registered under several sections, including one related to mob lynching.
According to the father’s complaint, a crowd of 100-150 people reached their place on Tuesday and accused them of forcibly keeping a girl from the village at their home. When they denied this, people in the crowd tied up the man’s parents and assaulted them, the complaint said.
The FIR states that when the man came to rescue his parents, the mob attacked him with sticks and stones. His father has alleged that some police personnel were present during the incident. The complaint said the injured man was taken to the police station, and the family was later told that he had died. According to some reports, the victim was jailed in 2023 in a rape case.
The father has named 56 people in his complaint. He has alleged that videos of the assault were recorded and circulated on social media.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Block Development Officer (BDO) Deolal Oraon said 10 people have been detained in the lynching case. He said the administration is yet to establish the series of events that led to the crime.
The BDO said a girl from the village went missing on Monday night. She was found on Tuesday, and she reportedly alleged that she was confined at the victim’s home. Following this, villagers gathered and stormed the victim’s home, the official said. “The girl has been sent for medical examination, and the administration is awaiting the report before drawing any conclusions regarding the allegations,” the BDO added.
Heavy force has been deployed in the area to keep the situation under control.