The Bareilly Police have rejected allegations that a man named Maulana Tousif Raza Mazhari was attacked and thrown from a moving train, saying the incident appears to be an accident caused by a fall.
In an official statement, police said, “Some tweets and posts circulating on social media allege that the deceased, Tausif Raza, was attacked and thrown from a train. These allegations are misleading and not based on facts.”
Police say death appears accidental
According to the police, the incident took place on April 27, 2026, when a body was found near railway tracks in the Palpur Kamalpur area under Cantt police limits in Bareilly. The deceased was identified as Tausif Raza, a resident of Kishanganj district in Bihar, who was returning home after attending an Urs fair.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests that the death happened due to an accident rather than any assault. They explained that Raza was likely sitting near a train window because of extreme heat and may have dozed off.
The police said, “Due to extreme heat, the deceased was sitting near the window of the train and while dozing off, he lost balance and fell down, resulting in fatal injuries to his head, legs, waist and face.”
They also said no signs of any fight, pushing, or assault were found at the scene. “No evidence of any kind of quarrel, assault or pushing of the deceased has been found from the incident site or any other source,” the statement added.
Police further said that the deceased’s mobile phone, PAN card, ATM card and other belongings were found intact. They also dismissed claims that his mobile phone was switched off, saying it was found functional and helped trace his family.
Authorities said a post-mortem was conducted and inquest proceedings were completed in the presence of relatives. “No criminal conspiracy or attack has been confirmed in the case,” police said, adding that the public should not spread rumours and legal action could be taken against those circulating false information.
Family alleges assault
However, the family alleged that Tausif Raza was assaulted and murdered during his train journey.
Maulana Tousif Raza Mazhari was an imam and madrasa teacher from Bihar’s Siwan district. He had travelled to Bareilly to attend the annual Urs of Tajusharia and was returning home when the incident occurred.
His wife, Tabassum Khatoon, said she was speaking to him when the attack allegedly took place. She claimed he was frightened and told her that he was being beaten by some passengers.
“This happened on the night of the 26th. He had called me from the train. He sounded scared and told me that some people were beating him,” she said.
She further alleged that she saw the assault during a video call. “They were calling him a thief and accusing him of stealing. He showed them his books and bag and said, ‘I am not a thief, I teach at a madrasa.’ I shouted and asked people to help him, but no one listened,” she said.
Tabassum also claimed that she saw him being physically assaulted. “I saw them dragging him by the collar, slapping and beating him. It was terrifying. I believe this was not random. There is some conspiracy behind it,” she alleged.
She added that his appearance, including his beard and cap, may have made him a target.
