A 45-year-old Muslim businessman, Arbeen Chauhan, died after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of villagers at his tyre-to-oil extraction factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district on October 9. His nephew, Sadiq, was also injured in the attack and is undergoing treatment.
The incident took place in the Salarpura area under Gangoh police station limits. According to reports, around 10 to 15 men arrived at the factory carrying sticks, clubs and iron rods and demanded that it be shut down over complaints about smoke and pollution.
When Chauhan refused, the group allegedly assaulted him and his nephew. The injured men were taken to a hospital, where Chauhan died during treatment.
Police have registered a case against 11 people based on a complaint filed by the family. The main accused, identified as Neeraj, has been arrested, according to reports. CCTV footage of the incident is also being examined.
Family Alleges Extortion
Chauhan’s nephew, Furkan Chaudhary, alleged that some people had been demanding extortion money from his uncle and that the attack took place after he refused to pay.
“My uncle set up the factory around two years ago. Some people were demanding extortion money from him, but he refused. This is why he was murdered,” Furkan said.
He added that anyone with complaints about the factory should have approached the administration instead of allegedly arriving at night with weapons and attacking the owner.
The family has demanded the arrest of all those named in the case and strict action against them. The alleged extortion motive remains under investigation.
Dispute Over Factory Smoke
According to Sadiq, he was at the factory with his uncle when a group of villagers entered the premises and asked the employees to shut it down.
“They told the employees to shut down the factory. When the employees refused, they started abusing and assaulting them,” Sadiq said.
He alleged that the attackers began abusing Chauhan when he came out after hearing the commotion. They accused the factory of causing pollution and threatened to stop its operations, he said.
“When my uncle refused, the accused dragged him out of the factory and began beating him with sticks and rods. When I tried to save him, they assaulted me too,” Sadiq said.
The factory was reportedly established around five years ago at a cost of approximately ₹1.5 crore. It is spread across 10 bighas and is located around 300 metres from the village. Reports said villagers had complained about smoke from the unit for the past two years. The family maintains that the factory had the required permissions from the administration and pollution control department.
Neeraj, the arrested accused, denied wrongdoing and claimed that the group had gone to discuss pollution concerns. He alleged that a confrontation began after the factory owner and his employees refused to engage with them and assaulted members of the group. His account differs from the allegations made by the victim’s family.
Police Probe Underway
Kotwali in-charge Indresh Chauhan said the dispute arose over smoke from the factory and escalated into a fight, leaving one person dead and another injured.
A case has been registered on the basis of the family’s complaint, and police are examining CCTV footage as part of the investigation.
Samajwadi Party MP Chaudhary Ikra Hasan also joined a protest demanding justice for Arbeen Chauhan. Those demanding action have called for the arrest of all accused and a fair investigation.
The family’s allegations of extortion, along with the circumstances surrounding the fatal assault, are being investigated. The guilt of the accused will be determined through the legal process.
