Guwahati, Jan 17 (IANS): A 25-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of cattle smuggling in Assam’s Morigaon district on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased identified as Jitu Das was a resident of Karbi Anglong district.

According to police, Das was thrashed with bamboo sticks after he was allegedly apprehended by a group of people in the Kumoi village area of Morigaon on suspicion of smuggling cattle.

Hemanta Kumar Das, superintendent of police (SP) for the Morigaon district, stated that although a police team had hurried to the area after learning of the occurrence, the attackers had already left.

He said, “After Jitu Das was discovered unconscious by our police team, he was brought to a nearby government hospital to receive medical attention. But he passed away while receiving treatment.”

“Das was bleeding, and there were serious injuries on the back side of his head,” the officer added.

The body has been sent for an autopsy examination and would be later handed over to the family members.

An investigation has started after police filed a suo moto complaint.

“We are looking into the situation and attempting to find the people who may have been involved in this incident,” the police stated.

Meanwhile, the SP stated that while they are unsure of the exact number of persons involved in the incident, this might be considered an instance of mob lynching.