Man’s body found near south Delhi drain, family alleges lynching

NEWDELHI: The body of a 25-yearold man was found near a drain in south Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar on Thursday morning, police said.

According to Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), the incident came to notice around 10.30am, when a passerby saw a man’s body lying near a drain and called the police control room. The station house officer (SHO) of New Friends Colony along with other police personnel reached the spot. “The man has been identified as Mohammad Sheru who lived with his family in a slum in Taimoor Nagar pahari,” Biswal said.

Family members of Sheru alleged he was a victim of mob lynching. According to them, Sheru was tied to a tree and, thrashed and murdered by a group of five to six men who suspected Sheru of attempting a theft. His elder brother Mohammad Ashu alleged the men then murdered his brother in a public park. Ashu claimed to have identified one of the attackers.

Police, however, said that the body was not found near any tree. “Sheru had ten criminal cases registered against him. He was also a drug addict,” added Biswal.

Sheru’s family alleged Sheru was mercilessly beaten with sticks and rods that caused multiple injuries. They said that the attackers rubbed chilli powder and salt all over his body.

Police, however, said that except a few scars on the back, the man did not have any external injuries. They said the scars too did not appear fresh. The doctors have told us that they did not find any injuries on the man’s body,” said Biswal.

No case was registered in connection till Friday evening. An inquest proceedings under section 174 of CRPC was initiated.

“My brother left home around 5am. Around 9am, a neighbour told me that some people had tied my brother to a tree and thrashing him for attempting a theft. When I reached there, the attackers attacked us as well and forced us to leave,” said Ashu when contacted on the phone. He added that Sheru’s body was lying near the park when they went there again around 10am.

DCP Biswal questioned Ashu’s allegations, saying why he did not call police when he saw the attack on his brother. “We have not found any eyewitness who could tell us that the man was a victim of a mob lynching,” he said.