A 42-year-old Muslim man, Shahedin, died in a hospital in Meerut on December 30 after being brutally beaten by a mob accusing him of cow slaughter. The incident took place in the Mandi Samiti premises near the Mandi committee outpost in the Mazhola Thana area of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the complaint filed by Shahedin’s brother, on Monday, some people attacked his brother, causing severe injuries. Shahedin later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The incident reportedly began late Sunday night when a group attempted to slaughter a bovine animal in the dark. Upon noticing the activity, some people gathered and confronted the accused. While three of the accused managed to flee, Shahedin was captured and severely beaten by the mob.
Police took Shahedin to the district hospital, but he died from his injuries. The police have registered a case of unintentional murder against those responsible for the assault, based on the complaint from Shahedin’s brother. The police also filed charges of cow slaughter against Shahedin and his associates.
SP City Kumar Ranvijay Singh confirmed the case and said tensions in the area had escalated after Shahedin’s death. The police have sent the body for postmortem and deployed a heavy police force in the area to maintain peace. Authorities have appealed to residents to remain calm and disregard any rumours.
