Hapur lynching: UP DGP reiterates it was road rage
GHAZIABAD : The Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) on Tuesday reiterated the police’s stand that the alleged lynching of a cattle trader at Bajhera Khurd village in Hapur this month was related to road rage and had noting to do with cow slaughter.
OP Singh said the police lodged an FIR for murder and attempt to murder on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim’s family.
A cattle trader was beaten to death and a 67-year-old suffered severe injuries in the incident that took place on June 18.
The two were brutally beaten by villagers of Thakur-dominated Bajhera Khurd after rumours of cow slaughter on a day UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was holding a meeting in neighbouring Ghaziabad.
Qasim, a cattle trader from Saddiqpura in Pilkhuwa, died of severe injuries while 67-year-old Shamiuddin is still battling for life at a private hospital in Hapur.
The local police on the basis of the FIR maintained it was a road rage incident and had nothing to do with cows. But the victims’ families said the two men were beaten up on suspicion that they tethered cows for slaughter.
“The FIR was lodged by the victim family and on that basis we registered a case for murder and attempt to murder. We formed 7-8 teams, including a special task force, which are conducting raids and trying to trace the culprits,” Singh said.
Singh, however, declined to take a question on cow being the reason behind the incident flare as alleged by the families and villagers from Bajhera.
A video showing Qasim lying injured in the fields and surrounded by a mob went viral on social media. Another shows Shamiuddin being attacked and the mob forcing him to confess to having slaughtered a cow.
The two men were dragged from the fields of Madhpura Mustafabad village and dumped near a temple complex in Bajhera Khurd before the police arrived.
“The videos will be sent for forensic test,” said the DGP.
In a picture from the spot, villagers were seen carrying an injured Qasim upside down with four persons holding his hands and legs in the presence of police officials. After the picture came to light, UP police tendered an apology for the insensitive behaviour and sent to police lines the SHO and two constables seen in the picture.
“We have sent the cops to lines and will take action. We have so far arrested three persons,” the DGP added.
Shamiuddin’s brother Yaseen maintained that the agitated villagers were seen shouting about a cow in the videos.
“But no one is listening to our plight. My brother is still not able to speak,” Yaseen said.
On Tuesday, family members of the victims along with politicians from the Samajwadi Party met the UP DGP in Ghaziabad and demanded strict action.
“We asked the DGP to improve law and order. The incident at Pilkhuwa is very sensitive. There should be an FIR against the SHO and constable seen in the picture. We showed the videos to the DGP and requested for a fair and transparent probe,” said Ashu Malik, Samajwadi Party MLC.