more-in A ragpicker died after allegedly being tortured for nearly 10 hours on Monday by four men, including a local landlord, who suspected him and two of his friends of stealing a water pump motor and electric wires from a plot in Munnekolala, Varthur. The victim, Basheerul, 23, succumbed to his injuries, while his friends, who were beaten to a pulp, are currently undergoing treatment at a government hospital. The victims had been living in a makeshift colony, comprising approximately 1,000 inhabitants, on a plot of land owned by one of the suspects, Basu Reddy, for the past couple of months. On Monday morning, Reddy and his associates picked up the trio from their makeshift houses and dragged them to a godown a few yards away. Neighbours told The Hindu that they started hearing the youths scream. They tried to intervene, but the gang chased them away warning they would be next. “They even began pelting stones at us,” alleged one resident. Ajmal Sheikh, one of the victims, alleged that the gang beat them with plastic pipes and administered electric shocks, all the time asking about the motor and wires. “When we pleaded ignorance, the men dragged us to a water tank, pushed us inside and again tortured us with electricity,” alleged Sheikh. This went on for a few hours. Other residents of the colony corroborated his claims. After a few hours, Basheerul collapsed. The gang summoned a local doctor who examined the ragpicker and declared him dead. “Sensing trouble, they abandoned us,” said Ajmal. The other residents took Ajmal and Hafeezulla back to the colony and alerted an NGO, Movement for Justice, who contacted the police. Senior police officers shifted Basheerul’s body for a post-mortem and admitted the injured to a hospital. The Marathahalli police have taken up cases of murder and attempt to murder and are searching for the suspects. By Tuesday, most of the residents had abandoned the makeshift colony. Victim from West Bengal Basheerul was from West Bengal. He had come to the city a few months ago with his wife and mother. A few days ago, his wife had gone to her hometown to deliver their child. His mother witnessed him being tortured and is currently in the care of Movement for Justice, an NGO. The police have taken her statement.

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