A 53-year-old fish farmer was allegedly tied to a tree, hacked, and beaten to death on suspicion of stealing fish from an enclosure in the Jiyala area under Tala upazila of Satkhira.
The victim, identified as Khitish Mondal, died on Friday at around 12pm whilst undergoing treatment at Tala Upazila Health Complex. The incident occurred earlier at Jeyala Uttorkhola Beel in the early hours of the morning.
Khitish Mondal, son of the late Monindra Nath Mondal of Jeyala village in Tala Sadar, was himself a fish enclosure owner.
According to relatives and local sources, he was detained at around 3am on Thursday night at a fish enclosure belonging to Bishwanath Ghosh in Jeyala Uttorkhola Beel on suspicion of theft.
Following his detention, local residents including Bishwanath Ghosh, Shimul Ghosh, Samar Ghosh, Ibrahim Khan, Habibur Gazi, Gaffar Sheikh, and 10 to 15 others took him to the Jeyala Shmashan Ghat area, tied him to a tree, and subjected him to brutal torture until dawn.
The attackers broke his arms and legs, hacked his head with a sharp weapon, and attempted to gouge out his eyes.
At around 8am on Friday, locals rescued him in critical condition and admitted him to Tala Upazila Health Complex, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The victim’s cousin, Partha Mondal, said that Khitish Mondal owned a four-bigha fish enclosure of his own. Questioning how a person could be tied to a tree and killed overnight over mere suspicion of theft, he demanded justice for the brutal murder.
Confirming the incident, Mohsin Ali, officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station, said that Khitish Mondal was beaten to death on the pretext of fish theft.
Upon receiving the news, police prepared an inquest report, recovered the body, and sent it to Satkhira Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Legal procedures to identify and arrest those involved in the incident are currently underway.
