West Bengal Declares Lynched Man Innocent After Mob Justice

A 26-year-old Hindu man was killed by a mob in Baruipur on July 5, 2026, suspected in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old Muslim girl found in a pond. West Bengal's government later declared him innocent—he was never among the three suspects arrested by police. The lynching underscores how communal tensions can trigger lethal vigilantism, complicating the state's investigation and fracturing public confidence in the distinction between guilt and accusation.