An angry mob invaded a prison compound in India's Nagaland state on Thursday and beat a rape suspect to death, officials and witnesses said.
The man, described by local officials as a 35-year-old illegal immigrant from Bangladesh, died from head injuries before authorities could rescue him, CNN reported. He had allegedly raped a local woman.
The crowd, mainly made up of students in uniforms, drug the man's naked and lifeless body through the streets, according to various reports.
"Security personnel at the jail were overpowered by the mob," said the state's chief minister, T.R.Zeliang, to Reuters.
In an attempt to disperse the crowds, who went on to torch police vehicles, authorities opened fire, resulting in at least 20 injured, reported the Hindustan Times.
An official curfew is now in place in Nagaland, where a predominantly Christian population lives side by side with a Muslim minority.
Violence against women is widespread in India, where a rape is reported every 21 minutes.
Recently the country attracted international attention due to a spate of high-profile rape cases.
Indian officials banned the airing of a BBC documentary showing an interview with a convicted rapist who said "the victim should be silent and just allow the rape."
The woman referred to in the film was raped by five men in a minibus in 2012. She subsequently died from her injuries.