LUCKNOW: Thirty-eight-year-old Hariom from Fatehpur Kotwali was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of being a "drone thief" in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli. His semi-naked body, marked with injuries, was found near Ishwar Daspur railway station in the Unchahar Kotwali area on Thursday morning.
The incident came to light after a video related to it surfaced on Friday.
Unchahar CO Girija Shankar Tripathi said that an FIR was registered against 12 people.
“Police have taken the body into custody and sent it for post-mortem. Based on the wife's complaint, a murder case has been registered against 12 people involved in the assault. Out of these, 6 people have been taken into police custody,” said the CO.
Reports say fear has been spreading in Uttar Pradesh after a drone sighting in Amroha city.
Residents of at least 50 villages now believe robbers are using drones to scout homes before committing crimes. Many patrol their areas through the night, taking turns to monitor their homes, and some confrontations with strangers or suspected intruders have even escalated into scuffles.
However, there is no evidence that drones have been used by criminals.
Concerns about “drone thieves” are widespread across Prayagraj, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh, and other districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
On Wednesday at around 1 am, Hariom was travelling towards Dadedpur Majre Ishwardaspur on the Unchahar-Dalmaun road when about 25 villagers caught him and began interrogating him. Hariom explained that he lived in a nearby village, but the villagers were unconvinced.
Believing him to be a "drone thief", they started beating him with sticks and belts. According to sources, the villagers then took him to the canal bank outside the village, tied him to a pole, and continued the assault.
Despite Hariom repeatedly pleading his innocence, the villagers did not believe him. After the beating, they left him in a semi-conscious state near the railway track.
On Thursday, locals found his body near the railway track in Raebareli and informed the police. He was taken to Unchahar CHC, where doctors declared him dead.
Eyewitnesses reported severe assault marks, including head injuries, belt marks on his chest, and bruises all over his body.