Business enmity or money dispute might be the reason behind the killing of three middle-aged men in Pabna on suspicion that they were child abductors, according to police.

Family members of the victims claimed that they came to Pabna for business purpose, police said, adding that investigation is going on to find out the real culprits.

Earlier, angry mob beat three people to death after dragging them out of a bus in broad daylight in C&B Chotur Bazar area of Santhia upazila in the district around 12:00pm.

The victims Md Alauddin Hossain alias Alal member, 52, of Lokhmipur Kholapara village in Natore, Abu Bakar, 48, of Kanchan-Koloni in Bogra and Aslam Hossain, 50, of Poshchim Shibrampur village in Dinajpur were traders and relatives. Of them, Alal was former UP member, also a BNP activist, sources said.

"My husband is a hotel businessman and also invests money on buying seasonal crops. He along with two relatives came to Bera for buying onion ahead of Eid-ul-Azha," said Masiran Nesa, wife of deceased Abu Bakar.

Talking to The Daily Star, Md Siraj Hossain, son of the deceased Aslam, claimed that the incident was a planned murder.

"My father and two others, carrying around Tk 2 lakh, came here to buy goods from C&B bazaar. They were beaten to death and the money was looted. Rumours spread out that they were child abductors, but nobody clarifies who was being abducted," Siraj said. He also demanded that the true culprits be arrested soon.

Officer-in-Charge of Santhia Police Station Shahed Mahamud said Alauddin's brother Rana filed a case accusing two to three thousand unidentified criminals.

"In primary inquiry, we are clear that the victims are not the real kidnappers. They came here for business purpose," the OC said.

Siddikur Rahman, additional superintendent of police, said police is trying to find out the real culprits through checking the victims' call list.