Raju Sheikh, who was caught stealing construction equipment from an under construction building, was severely beaten up by the caretaker, Shambhu Saha, who was later arrested by the police.

The sleuths said that Sheikh along with three others was collecting waste from Dipayan Abason, an underconstruction building in Barrackpore, when he picked up some iron spare parts lying in the building. But as the group was leaving the site, Saha caught Sheikh and tied him with a rope. He also tonsured the boy’s head after beating him, they added.

Sheikh was left without any food or water for nearly five hours, when his cries were heard by locals.

“I noticed the boy weeping and asked Saha to release him immediately,” said Alakesh Khanna, a local. Subsequently, the ropes were untied, but Sheikh was not allowed to leave.