NEW DELHI, Feb 24: An angry mob in eastern India dragged a murder suspect from his hospital bed and beat him until he lost consciousness, while police stood by and watched in an incident caught on video and broadcast on Sunday.

The attack, one of several in which angry crowds have beaten criminal suspects in recent months, highlights a growing move toward vigilantism, a trend India’s president attributed to the public’s loss of faith in the judicial system.

In footage broadcast on several Indian television channels, a mob dragged the man along the ground by a rope tied to one of his hands while others repeatedly kicked and hit him until he stopped moving.

At least one policeman was clearly visible watching the incident without intervening.

The attack occurred on Saturday after the man, identified as Ravi Kumar, was arrested and taken to hospital near the eastern city of Patna.

Kumar allegedly killed another man in a knife fight before his arrest.

The mob dragged him from the hospital, apparently unhindered by hospital staff and security personnel.

Police in Patna, about 800 kilometres southeast of New Delhi, were not immediately available for comment.—AP