Hundreds of villagers from Hathidhara, Liyo ka Guda and Rati Talai, under the jurisdiction of Ambamata Police Station, have caught two teenage boys last night under the suspicion of theft.

The two boys have been badly beaten by the villagers, who later handed over the suspects to the police. According to villagers, their villages have had a series of thefts recently and suspect that a gang of 5-6 boys are involved in the crime.

Last night, villagers patrolling the area gave chase to five people who had been spotted under suspicious circumstances, resulting in the apprehension of two of the suspects while the others managed to flee to safety.

The news of the apprehension quickly spread to the villages nearby and attracted a large crowd to the area. The crowd proceeded to beat the suspects.

However according to police, the boys caught by the villagers are mentally challenged and escaped from a shelter home run by a well known NGO.

Jitendra Anchaliya, SHO of Ambamata Police said that, it is difficult to converse with the boys due to their mental condition. Both boys were set free and handed over to the shelter home.