Six-year-old beaten to death by neighbour as policemen look on

BAHARAMPUR (WB): A six-year-old boy was beaten to death allegedly by a neighbour at a village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal on Sunday, while three policemen present there reportedly stood as mute spectators.
    
The shocking incident took place when the policemen were sent from Hariharpara police station to apprehend one Rafiq Sheikh (25) from his Choa Dilpara village home after complaints of torture by his father Nawazi, police said.
    
On seeing them, an angry Rafiq rushed out of his house with a stick, pounced upon the son of his neighbour playing nearby and started beating him up mercilessly.
    
As policemen stood looking on, villagers pleaded with them to stop Rafiq who beat the boy, Shamim Sheikh, to death.
    
Rafiq then tried to flee but the villagers gave him a hot chase and overpowered him. He was beaten up and handed over to the police.
    
There was no enmity between the man and the child's family, police said adding, Rafiq had earlier been arrested once on complaints by his father.
    
Following the incident, women of the village came out of their homes with sticks and damaged two police vehicles parked at the spot.
    
District police authorities suspended the three constables who were present when the child was being beaten up, along with an assistant sub-inspector who had also gone to the spot.