Thane, Jun 8 (PTI) A homeless man was bludgeoned to death in Navi Mumbai in the wee hours of Sunday, and the police rescued the attacker from an angry mob that had cornered him, an official said.

The accused sustained injuries in the incident and has been admitted to a hospital in Mumbai, he said.

The official said that the victim, Prakash Nagorao Lokhande, slept on the footpath under the Shahbaz Belapur bridge.

“As per preliminary information, the attack took place around 3.45 am after the victim got into an argument with the accused, Abhishek Singh alias Abhishek Pal. The latter attacked the sleeping man with a large stone, killing him on the spot,” he said.

People in the vicinity caught hold of the accused and started beating him up, the official said.

He said a team from Belapur police reached the spot and rescued the injured man, who was admitted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai.

A case has been registered under section 103(1)(murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and an investigation is underway, the official added. PTI COR ARU