Unconfirmed allegations of mobile theft. And then the beating and death based on these allegations. It may be unbelievable, but a similar incident happened in Boriya, Rajbiraj Municipality-16, the headquarters of Saptari. Why did 19-year-old Mukesh Kumar Yadav die? Why was he accused of mobile theft and how did the incident unfold? We have tried to explain this incident in five questions and answers.

What is the background to the incident of 19-year-old Mukesh Kumar Yadav being beaten to death?

The incident happened last Wednesday. Sarokumari Sah, 35, of Rajbiraj Municipality-16 Boriya, lost her mobile phone worth around Rs 40,000. Sarokumari suspected Mukesh Kumar Yadav, 19, who lives in the neighborhood, of stealing. Mukesh, who is struggling with mental health problems, denied the charges. Sarokumari called 3/4 neighbor youths and had them tie Mukesh to a mango tree. The youths beat Mukesh severely with sticks and iron rods. But Mukesh did not confess to the theft. When this incident happened, neither his father Devendra nor his 13-year-old brother Mithilesh and his uncle's 14-year-old son Rampravesh were at Mukesh's house. Therefore, there was no one to save him when the beating occurred.

After the brutal beating, Sarokumari, suspecting that Mukesh had taken the stolen mobile phone to her maternal uncle's house, tied him to an e-rickshaw and took him to Mukesh's maternal uncle's house in Bishnupur Rural Municipality-4, Kankatta. Mukesh's grandfather, 67-year-old Vasudev Yadav, was the only one at home there. Sarokumari became even more angry when the mobile phone was not found there either. His grandfather repeatedly requested Mukesh to leave. But no amount of pressure from him worked. Sarokumari tied him to an e-rickshaw and took him back to Boria after beating him. By then, Mukesh had become unconscious due to the continuous beating. Then she took Mukesh home and returned. Mukesh's father Devendra said that his son had injuries on his head, back and various parts of his body. Devendra did not take his son to the hospital that day, fearing that he would be beaten up again. The next day, Thursday, Mukesh developed a high fever. Devendra took his son to Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital in Rajbiraj for treatment. By then, his health condition had become critical. Since there was no intensive care unit (ICU), the hospital referred him to Chinnamasta Hospital in Rajbiraj. Mukesh died on Friday while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Chinnamasta Hospital.

Who are the people who beat Mukesh? How far is their house from the deceased's house?

Sarokumari, who accused him of stealing the mobile phone, is the neighbor of the deceased Mukesh. Mukesh's house is on the north side of the four-to-five-meter unpaved road and Sarokumari's house is on the south side. A police complaint has been filed against Sarokumari, stating that 18-year-old Rabindra Thakur, a resident of Rajgadh Rural Municipality-1 and resident of Boriya, 25-year-old Santosh Kumar Raut, also from Boriya, and 35-year-old Prem Narayan Sah were also involved in the brutal beating of Mukesh.

Is there any evidence to support the charge of stealing a mobile phone from the attackers?

It seems that Mukesh had also gone to Sarokumari's house when the mobile phone was lost, so he has been accused of theft. According to the police involved in the investigation of this incident, there is no other evidence to support the charge of Mukesh stealing the mobile phone from Sarokumari. The police investigation officer suspects that Mukesh may have been accused of theft because he is mentally weak.

What is the police investigating this incident?

After the incident, the police have arrested Sarokumari, Ravindra Thakur and Santosh Kumar Raut, who were involved in the beating, and an investigation is underway in the case of manslaughter. DSP Dambar Bahadur Puri, spokesperson of the District Police Office, said that the investigation is underway by obtaining an additional 5-day remand from the Saptari District Court. The police have said that the investigation will accelerate after the postmortem report of the deceased comes.

What is the condition of Mukesh's family after the incident?

Mukesh's ancestral home is Fakira, Rajgadh Rural Municipality-6 in the district. Devendra and his brother Bhupendra had bought 8 acres of land in Boriya a few years ago and built a simple house. Mukesh's family, who earn their living by farming, is in mourning after this incident. Mukesh's 70-year-old grandmother Suhodevi is deranged after the death of her grandson. The deceased Mukesh's father, Devendra, had gone to Malaysia two and a half years ago for foreign employment. When he returned from there, he had a problem with his left leg and a loan from going to Malaysia. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Biratnagar to see if he can get his legs back. Devendra, who is walking on the back of a donkey, is angry that his son was beaten to death on the basis of baseless allegations. He said, 'Strict action should be taken against the guilty.'