Night‑time Violence in Khunti: Goat‑Theft Allegations Lead to Lathi‑Pounding, One Fatality

A disturbing case of mob violence unfolded in Khunti district when a group of villagers took the law into their own hands after suspecting four young men of stealing goats.

The four passengers, travelling in a private car, were stopped at the outskirts of Bindaadiri village late on Sunday. Hearing the bleating of goats, the residents rushed to the scene, detained the youths and escorted three of them to a forested area.

There, the victims were fastened to a tree trunk and subjected to a savage beating with lathis (sticks) for several hours. One of the detainees managed to escape during the chaos, while the other three endured the beating.

Medical teams from the Khunti district hospital arrived after the police were alerted. They evacuated the two severely injured survivors, Firuz Ansari and Nizam Ansari, to the hospital. Diladar Ansari, a 23‑year‑old, died while being taken to the medical facility.

Authorities have opened an investigation, registering a case against unidentified assailants. The incident has drawn criticism from civil society organizations, urging immediate governmental action to curb such extrajudicial punishments.