Muslim man lynched in Hapur, 2 held

MEERUT : Two neighbouring villages in Hapur were tense after a 45-year-old Muslim man was lynched by a mob when his motorcycle hit a man on Monday night, police said. Two men have been arrested and a case of murder registered against 24 unknown people, Hapur superintendent of police Sankalp Sharma said on Tuesday, denying a link between the killing and rumours of cow slaughter doing the rounds in the area.

MEERUT: Tension prevailed in two villages in Hapur district after lynching of a Muslim man by an angry mob on Monday evening.

Police have arrested two in connection with the incident and registered a case of murder against over two dozen unknown persons.

The last rites of the deceased Kasim, 45, was performed amid tight security in Pilakhuhka. Additional forces have been deployed in Bajhera and Madapur of Pilakhua area in order to prevent any untoward incident.

Tension gripped the area on Monday when rumours about cow slaughter spread but police later claimed it was fake as no evidence of cow slaughter was found on the reported spot.

› A case of murder and attempt to murder has been registered against 25 unknown persons

SANKALP SHARMA, SP, Hapur

“We found no evidence of cow slaughter,” said superintendent of police of Hapur Sankalp Sharma.

Sharma said Kasim, a resident of Pilakhua, was on way to Madapur village when his motorcycle hit a person of neighbouring Rajput village Bajhera.

An altercation ensued following which a mob from Bajhera arrived on the spot.

The unruly mob thrashed Kasim and a farmer Samadeen, 72, who was working in his field near the spot. Kasim died on the spot while Samadeen was later admitted to hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.

Police officials rushed to the spot with additional forces and controlled the situation.

Bajhera is a Rajput dominated village while Madapur has a large Muslim population. Locals say both villages are at loggerheads and the incident was a fallout of this ongoing enmity.

Sharma, however, said he had no knowledge of the enmity between the two villages.

“A case of murder and attempt to murder has been registered against 25 unknown persons,” Sharma said adding the process of identifying persons involved in the lynching was underway.

He said two residents of Bajhera, Rakesh and Yudhister, had been identified and taken into custody.