Two more arrested for Briton146;s murder

Bennett 40, a resident of Gloucestershire in Britain, was allegedly lynched by locals at Malsai village in Raigad district, around 120 km from here on December 10 by beating him with sticks and then hanging him on a tree for allegedly 8220;making advances8221; at a local woman.

Four locals, including the woman8217;s husband Ramesh Mene, Vithoba Mene, Nathuram Mohite and Kashinath Marathe, have been arrested by the police in connection with the case. Police suspect that Stephen, who had alighted from a Konkan Railway train at Roha three days prior to his murder, was a drug addict and was allegedly suffering from AIDS.

According to a letter sent by Bennett8217;s mother, he was very depressed and disturbed the past few days as his girlfriend had AIDS and he feared being affected by the fatal disease. He had also conveyed that he was being threatened by a few people but had refused to divulge more.