A mentally unsound man today hacked three persons, including a minor and an infant, to death before he was lynched by the enraged villagers in Gumla district, police sources said.
The man also injured two persons.
"The accused, identified as Chotu Munda, who was stated to be mentally unsound, hacked to death 45-year-old woman Bhandain Mundain, her three-year-old son Bipin and a month-old daughter Bibiyani with a dagger without any provocation," police said.
Following the incident, enraged villagers in large numbers assembled on the spot and caught hold of the accused and beat him to death, the sources said.
Officer-in-charge of Palkot Police station, Sudama Choudhary said Chotu has also injured two persons -- the victim woman's husband Krishna Munda and a villager Sukhdeo Munda -- who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
On being informed of the incident, Choudhary, along with a police force, rushed to the village to investigate the incident.
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Asked if land dispute was behind the incident, Choudhary denied it and said the accused was mentally unsound.
The bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem, police added.