A 40-year-old Dalit man was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies, police said on Monday.

Five people have been arrested in the case and three police personnel suspended for alleged negligence, they said, adding that the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalits and backward castes, and appealed to people not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.

The deceased was identified as Hariom, a resident of Fatehpur district.

According to the police, residents in several villages in the Unchahar police station area have been keeping night vigils following rumours that drone surveillance was being used to orchestrate thefts.

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