LUCKNOW: The lynching of a Muslim man in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh has now snowballed into a big row. The victim, identified as Babur, was allegedly lynched by his neighbours for supporting and voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and distributing sweets after the party's poll victory in the state.
While two of the accused -- Tahid and Arif -- were arrested and sent to jail by the police on Sunday, a team under SHO Khadda was set up to nab the remaining absconding accused named by the deceased family in the FIR.
The Kushinagar Superintendent of Police, meanwhile, has shifted Ramkola SHO Durgesh Kumar Singh to police lines for dereliction of duty and failing to act in time in connection with the incident that took place in Kathgarhi village under Ramkola Police Station in Kushinagar on March 20 despite getting a complaint from the victim about the imminent threat to his life and a demand for security.
Meanwhile, the BJP has extended support to the family and party MLA from Kushinagar Panchanand Pathak visited the family and took part in Babur’s funeral. Besides, CM Yogi Adityanath also took cognisance of the matter and ordered a thorough probe into the issue. An ex-gratia of Rs two lakh has also been announced for the bereaved family.
The incident took place on March 20 when Babur, who was returning from his shop, allegedly chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' due to which his irate neighbours thrashed him. According to Babur's wife Fatima, her husband ran to the roof of his house to save his life but the accused followed him there and threw him off the rooftop.
While talking to mediapersons, the deceased's brother Chand said that the entire locality was threatening his brother for the last four months as he was campaigning for the BJP and they were putting pressure on him to vote for the 'cycle' which he refused. He was of the view that it was his right and voted for the BJP. Babur’s mother Zebunnisa claimed that she was also injured while saving his son from the clutches of the culprits.
The victim’s family immediately rushed him to the local hospital but the doctors referred him to the district hospital. The family then took him to Lucknow where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
According to Babur's family, the irate neighbours were miffed with the UP assembly election results on March 10 in which the BJP registered a landslide victory. Babur had distributed sweets in the locality, his family claimed. However, his neighbours had repeatedly warned him about not supporting the BJP and had asked him to be prepared for the consequences, the family said.
Babur's family claimed that they had approached the Ramkola Police Station lodging the complaint against the neighbours seeking security but their plea fell on the deaf ears of Ramkola cops who did not take cognisance of their appeals.
Following Babur’s death, Ramkola police lodged a case against Ali, Azimullah, Arif, and Tahid under sections 323,504, 452, 336, 308 of India Penal Code on the basis of the complaint submitted by Babar’s wife Fatima.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Varun Kumar Pandey, who reached the spot, said that the culprits would be arrested in the case and action would be taken against them.
However, on Monday, Babar’s wife Fatima demanded that the state government give her a job so that she can nurture her two small children. She even expressed a threat to her life and other members of her family from the accused, reportedly
linked to the Samajwadi Party.
The newly sworn-in minister of Yogi cabinet and BJP MLA from Ballia Dayashankar Singh assured the victim's family of the strictest action against the culprits.