A Facebook post by a local youth on Monday, allegedly hurting minority sentiments, led to a mob attack on a police station in the Ilambazar area of West Bengal’s Birbhum district. Police on Tuesday arrested the youth, Sujan Mukherjee, in connection with the incident. “Mr. Mukherjee posted offensive remarks that hurt minority sentiments,” a senior police official told The Hindu. The police have removed the post.

Soon after the post attracted attention on Tuesday, some locals identified the accused and ransacked his house. Sources said the incident snowballed when a mob attacked the Ilambazar police station following related posts on social media. The mob vandalised the police station, demanding that the accused be handed over to it. The police resorted to firing rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.