A 60-year-old Muslim man, Aas Muhammad, was shot dead in Chadipur village under Karanda police station limits in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, after a dispute over Holi colours between his children and the family of Arvind Pandey alias Twinkle escalated into lethal violence.
How the Dispute Turned Deadly
The trouble began on the day of Holi when a quarrel broke out between Arvind Pandey’s son and the children of Aas Muhammad over the application of colours. The argument turned physical, and both sides suffered injuries. Bricks and stones were thrown before some kind of temporary settlement was reached.
According to family members, Aas Muhammad had actually tried to stay out of the confrontation and had hidden inside his house when Pandey came looking for him on Holi. His sons and grandsons reportedly went to Pandey’s house the following day to apologise and seek peace. However, on Sunday, as Aas Muhammad stepped out of his house, Pandey allegedly shot him with a licensed weapon. He died on the spot.
Family Alleges Police Took Money, Beat Aas in Custody
The family’s account of what happened before the killing paints a deeply troubling picture of how the police handled their complaint after the initial Holi clash. Mohammad Mehraj, a family member, described the sequence of events. “On Holi, they were drunk. Twinkle, Hanuman, Golden, they beat us and our clothes were torn. Aas’s son was beaten also. We went to the police, but they did not listen to us. The police took money from them. We asked the police to release him, but he was kept there, and he was beaten while in custody. Aas was beaten in place of his sons. It is because of the Pradhan that Aas was shot. Twinkle shot him,” he said.
Shahid, Aas Muhammad’s grandson, said: “On Holi, they came to beat him and we tried to save him, and the next day he was killed.”
Pradhan Detained, Raids Launched to Arrest Accused
Police have detained the village pradhan, who is alleged to have played a role in the dispute, and have launched raids to identify and arrest all those involved. The current pradhan was taken into custody, and interrogation has begun. Authorities said the main accused would be arrested shortly.
Police patrolling in the village have been increased following the killing, and officers assured that no stone would be left unturned in investigating the case and punishing those responsible.
