A man in his mid-20s, suspected to be a cellphone thief, was lynched and allegedly bobbitised by a group of students and junior doctors in the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital here, police said Sunday.
Some junior doctors and others have been detained in connection with the incident.
Hospital sources said the man was caught red-handed by junior doctors while he was trying to flee after stealing a cellphone from a hostel.
"We received a complaint that a youth has been caught while stealing a cellphone. When we came, we found him tied to a column in the corridor of the hostel building. He was unconscious. When he rushed him to the emergency unit, he was declared dead," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhrubojyoti De of Kolkata's Eastern Suburban Division.
"Some pieces of wooden sticks and bamboos were found and seized from the spot. We have initiated a murder case suo motu after a preliminary examination," De said, but added that he had no information that the youth's private parts were damaged.
However, a preliminary post-mortem report disclosed a broken jaw, hip and injuries in the lower abdomen.
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Witnesses claimed the youth was taken to the games room of the hostel and his private parts cut with sharp weapons.
Alarmed over the incident, the hospital authorities have formed a seven-member probe team.
"Investigation is on and the law will take its course," said minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya.
A junior doctor, who claimed he was not at the incident spot, seemed to justify the lynching.
"A minimum 50-60 laptops and mobile phones have been stolen over the past one year. In monetary value, it would be over Rs.20 lakh. We made repeated complaints to the authorities, but the thefts were going on and on.
"We were enraged. And anything can happen in the heat of the moment," the junior doctor said.