Patna : A man accused of theft was beaten to death in Patna’s Tulsi Mandi area after being tied up and stripped by residents of the house he allegedly entered at night. The police have detained the house owner, Madhu Devi, while her husband, Pancham Mehta, is on the run.
According to police reports, the unidentified man broke into the house between 2 am and 3 am. On discovering him, the household members overpowered him, bound his hands and legs with ropes, and stripped him before assaulting him repeatedly. The victim succumbed to his injuries, and his body was later dumped on the road.
Dog squad helps trace crime scene
In the morning, local residents discovered the body and alerted the police. A forensic and dog squad team, including police dog Duke, was deployed to the scene. Duke traced the scent from the body back to the house of Pancham Mehta, where officers found bloodstains on a plastic sheet.
Patna City Police Sub-Divisional Officer Atulesh Jha confirmed the arrest of Madhu Devi for questioning, while efforts are underway to locate her absconding husband.
Police investigate murder charges
Alamganj Police Station in-charge Rajiv Kumar said, “Our initial investigation suggests the deceased had entered the house with the intent of theft. The family members caught him and assaulted him. We are treating this as a murder case and investigating all angles.”
The deceased had a tattoo on his hand, which may aid in identification, police said. Nearby residents are being questioned as part of the investigation.
Duke the police dog’s second major case in 20 days
This is the second murder case in Patna within 20 days that Duke, the police dog, has helped solve. On February 25, the dog squad assisted in tracking down suspects in the murder of a youth in Mehndi Ganj. In that case, Duke led police to the accused within 24 hours, recovering both the murder weapon and a stolen vehicle.
Police have sent the latest victim’s body for postmortem and continue their search for Mehta as part of the ongoing investigation.
