A case was filed on Sunday against 200 people in connection with the death of three 'cattle lifters' in a lynch-mob attack in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha district.

Tafir Uddin, sub-inspector of Gobindaganj Police Station filed the case against 200 people of Nasirabad village in the afternoon, said officer-in-charge of the police station Bulbul Islam.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred around 2:30am when a group of eight alleged thieves tried to lift cows from the shed of one Abdus Salam Mia at Nasirabad village in the upazila.

Hearing noises, Salam shouted for help, drawing villagers out of their homes.

Later, local people managed to catch three people and beat them up mercilessly while the other five others managed to flee the scene.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gobindaganj Police Station, Bulbul Islam, said two of them died on the spot and the third succumbed to his injuries while being taken to Gobindaganj Upazila Health Complex.

One of the deceased was identified as Kausar Ali of Shibganj upazila in Bogura district while the identities of another could not be known immediately.

Nishat Engela, superintendent of Gaibandha Police said legal action will be taken against those involved in the killing.

Local residents said incidents of cattle theft had been frequent in the area in recent weeks, leaving villagers frustrated and anxious.

Police have intensified patrols in the area and launched an investigation to identify those involved in the killing, as well as the rest of the suspected cattle lifters who managed to flee.