Went Out To Buy Medicines, Muslim Youth Allegedly Lynched By Mob In Nuh District In Haryana

A day after a 25-year-old man was allegedly lynched in Haryana's Nuh district, police arrested six men in connection with the incident. The gym instructor's body was found hours after his kidnapping by people mostly from his own village in Mewat area of the state.

A mob allegedly lynched the man, identified as Asif Khan, who was returning home from Sohna after buying medicines. Khan¡¯s family alleged that the man was forced to say ¡°Jai Shri Ram¡±, according to The Times of India report.

PTI

Asif Khan was accompanied by his cousins, 30-year-old Rashid and 31-year-old Wasif. The incident occurred when the three men were ambushed as they re-entered Mewat to go back to their village Khalilpur. While Asif was taken way after being beaten brutally, his two cousins were left at the same spot.

Kidnapped, thrashed and killed

¡°A group of youths intercepted their car near Jacopur and thrashed all three of them,¡± Asif Khan¡¯s uncle Maktoob Khan told the newspaper. ¡°Asif died while the two others sustained injuries.¡± One of the cousins, who was also attacked during the incident, said they knew the accused and that there was ¡°old enmity¡± between them.

SCREENGRAB

Another cousin, Rashid, said their car was hit from behind near Jacopur as another vehicle stopped in front of theirs, blocking the way from both sides. He said a third vehicle hit their car from the side. This caused the car with Asif Khan and his cousins to topple in a field. Rashid said the group first verbally abused them and then assaulted them one after the other.

Mob used sticks, stones to beat youths

¡°They then beat him up mercilessly till he was finally dumped, alive or dead, in Nangli village three kilometers from Sohna. That is where the body was found,¡± he said, reported The Quint. As per news reports, the group used sticks and stones to thrash the three youths.

The group that lynched Asif Khan was comprised of men from the Gujjar community, according to The Quint. A case was registered under sections 302 (murder), 323 (causing hurt), 326 (grievous injuries) of the Indian Penal Code at the Rozka Meo police station. The police denied that the incident was a hate crime and said it was the outcome of an old feud between the two groups.

TOI

Locals protested, pelted stones

Ever since the incident on Sunday, tensions reigned in the district as locals blocked roads demanding the arrest of the attackers. The police had to baton charge angry mobs and fire in the air to disperse them at a few places where they protested the killing.

On Monday, heavy security was deployed at the village as Asif Khan¡¯s family refused to bury him before an arrest was made in the case. However, the family buried him later on Monday. Many of those who attended the victim's funeral, pelted stones at the police.

Cops deny hate crime, blame old dispute

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sudhir Taneja said the officials were later able to disperse the protesting mob as tensions ran high in the area, reported India Today. The locals had also pelted stones at the Mewat police team that reached the area. Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya said no one had been made to chant any religious slogans. The police officer reiterated that this was the result of an old dispute between the two groups.