On Tuesday, in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, a Muslim youth named Momeen Khan, fell victim to a violent attack perpetrated by three men known to him—Gaurav Singh (22), Ankit Kumar (21), and Raju Kumar (25).
The victim, who was known to work at the vegetable market alongside his brother Naushad, was reportedly attacked while he was sleeping. The assailants, identified as Gaurav Singh (22), Ankit Kumar (21), and Raju Kumar (25), are said to have been acquainted with Khan, all residing in the nearby Jhandapur village.
According to the Ghaziabad police, the incident took place during the intervening night of April 2 and 3, under the jurisdiction of the Link Road police station.
The official records suggest the killing took place after Singh had an altercation with Khan before they went drinking together and was still upset by this.
Rajneesh Upadhyaya, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Sahibabad), said that Singh plays DJ music at weddings and functions and on the night of the murder, he returned home after a programme. Thereafter, the four friends decided to have drinks.
“During the drinking session, there was some altercation between Khan and Singh, and it soon escalated into a major fight. Singh had a metal axe with him and he used that to hack Khan to death before fleeing with the other two suspects,” said ACP Upadhyaya.
While the motive behind the murder is under investigation, the victim’s brother has claimed that Khan was targeted over a religious slogan, a claim the police have denied.
Upon questioning, the suspects told police that Singh fled the spot and also cleaned up the axe in his rented room while Ankit and Raju joined Khan’s family in their search for Singh, in an attempt to divert attention away from them.
Senior police officers said a passerby who witnessed the brutal act made a video of the entire incident and later posted it on social media after which it was widely shared by many.
The video depicts the horrifying scene in which Khan was repeatedly struck with an axe, ultimately leading to his collapse.
Following the video’s circulation, police arrested the three suspects on Wednesday.
“After the arrests, we also seized the murder weapon. Gaurav is the prime suspect while the other two aided him and did not prevent the attack. Their blood stained clothes were also recovered,” Upadhyaya said.
The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
