On suspicion of kidnap, mob attacks Jharkhand cops who

A policeman was trashed by a mob when he along with some other personnel went to a village in Jharkhand's Pakur district on Monday to arrest a man accused of stealing a mobile phone, officials said.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Ramesh Singh was part of a police team that went to arrest one Babudhan Marandi in Littipara Bazar after a stolen mobile was traced to him, Superintendent of Police Rajiv Ranjan Singh said.

Police arrested Marandi and when he was being taken away, his friends raised a false alarm that Marandi was being kidnapped.

The policemen, except Ramesh Singh, were not in uniform.

Soon a mob gathered and attacked the police team, the officer said.

Ramesh Singh was thrashed as he tried to stop the mob from setting a police van on fire, he added.

He was rescued and taken to nearby hospital and later shifted to a medical facility in Dhanbad, the officer said.

"Video of the incident is available and we will identify those behind the attack," he said.

The mobile phone was one among seven such devices allegedly stolen from a crusher unit at Kasturi village under Hiranpur police station area of the district, the SP said, adding that since then the police were trying to locate them.