Balasore: A youth was tied to a pole and brutally thrashed for allegedly stealing a water pump motor at Khagadapal village under Baliapal police station limits in the district yesterday.
The accused person has been identified as Rajkumar Mahapatra.
Reportedly, the villagers caught Rajkumar red-handed while he was stealing the water pumping motor and thrashed him after tying him to the electric pole.
Locals alleged that he had stolen various items from the house of villagers in order to buy drugs.
Elders at the area suggested the villagers to hand over the thief to police instead of taking the law into their own hands, sources said.
