Kolkata: Police in West Bengal have arrested five people and detained two minors in connection with the alleged lynching of a man from Mangaluru who was beaten to death after being mistaken for a thief in South 24 Parganas district.

The incident occurred on June 9 in the Sankijahan area of Kultali, but investigators said key details emerged only after a video of the assault surfaced on social media several days later.

The police said the victim has been identified as Sandip Naik, a resident of Mangaluru. Initial reports had identified the victim as Sandip Nair, prompting investigators to believe he was from Kerala. However, subsequent verification established his identity as Sandip Naik from Mangaluru.

According to police, the victim had travelled to Kultali around two weeks earlier along with an acquaintance. On the morning of June 9, he reportedly left alone for a local market and lost his way.

Residents grew suspicious after spotting the man wandering through the neighbourhood. Investigators said some villagers questioned him and asked him to identify himself. However, the victim was reportedly unable to communicate effectively because he did not speak Bengali, leading to confusion and suspicion among locals.

Police said a group of villagers allegedly tied the man with a rope and assaulted him, believing he was involved in theft. Some residents later claimed that allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a pregnant woman had also fuelled tensions, although authorities said those claims remain under investigation.

Officers from Kultali police station responded after receiving information about a severely injured man lying on a roadside. He was rescued and taken to Jaynagar-Kultali Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Initially, authorities were unable to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. However, after reviewing videos circulated online, investigators linked the deceased to the assault and launched a formal probe.

A senior police officer said a case had been registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police subsequently arrested five adults and took two minors into custody.

Authorities said the victim died as a result of the beating. Efforts are continuing to establish his full identity and trace the friends with whom he had travelled to the area.