Agartala, Jun 20 (IANS): Three suspected cattle lifters were hacked to death by a mob in western Tripura's Khowai district on Sunday, police said.

Khowai district Superintendent of police Kiran Kumar said that the three suspected cattle lifters after "stealing five cattle" trying to run away in a car but the villagers at North Maharanipur apprehended them when the vehicle dashed against a coconut tree and then they were severely roughed up.

"One person died on the spot while other two died at the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in Agartala," Kumar told IANS.

The slain suspected cattle lifters were identified as Jayed Hossain, 28, Billal Mia, 30, Saiful Islam, 8,and all the three hailed from bordering Sonamura areas under Sepehahijala district.

Police have registered a case and probing the incident.

Various political parties including the main opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist have condemned the incident.

The 'TIPRA Motha', a newly floated political party, chairman and Tripura's royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said that anyone who takes law in his hands should be punished.

"We live in a lawful society and the public murder of the three people irrespective of the alleged crime is unacceptable. If they were guilty it was the responsibility of the police to arrest them not the mob to lynch them," said the supremo of 'TIPRA Motha', the party recently won the politically significant 30-member autonomous body Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous district council.