In Gaura village of the Rampur Karkhana region in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, two Muslim farmers, identified as Samiullah Ansari and Hamid Ansari, were allegedly hit by a police vehicle while returning home after irrigating their fields. Samiullah Ansari, 45, lost his life in the accident, while Hamid Ansari sustained severe injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Sameer Ansari, the son of Samiullah Ansari, said that his father was hit by a police vehicle. This incident was corroborated by another individual who was also injured during the event while they were returning from their field.
“My father was hit by a police vehicle and he died while we were taking him to the hospital,” he said.
Hamid Ansari, the injured victim, said that the incident unfolded during the late hours of the night of September 21 when a police vehicle with flashing blue lights collided with the two farmers on the road.
“We were hit by the police vehicle and we fell in the field. Instead of stopping to provide assistance, the police vehicle fled the scene, leaving us injured and in critical condition. I ran towards home and called Samiullah’s brother, he was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead,” Hamid said.
Pawan Mishra, a local journalist, said the villagers demanded action against the police when things turned violent in the area.
“The villagers organized a protest to demand justice for the victims and to hold the responsible authorities accountable. The protest grew in size, prompting a heavy deployment of police forces to maintain order. The police resorted to using batons to disperse the crowd. This resulted in injuries to several protesters and further escalated tensions in the village,” Mishra said.
What has added to the anguish of the community is the subsequent filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) against approximately 200 individuals, many of whom , according to the locals, have no known involvement in the protest.
On September 23, the police filed a case against 28 individuals, along with approximately 200 others, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges brought against the accused span multiple sections of the IPC, including Section 145 (related to maintaining public peace and tranquility), Section 149 (pertaining to unlawful assembly with a common object), Section 332 (dealing with causing hurt to a public servant), Section 333 (relating to causing grievous hurt to a public servant), Section 336 (concerned with acts endangering life or personal safety of others), Section 353 (addressing assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duty), Section 307 (pertaining to attempts to murder), Section 341 (related to wrongful restraint), Section 392 (dealing with robbery), Section 427 (concerned with causing damage to property), Section 452 (addressing house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault, or wrongful restraint), Section 504 (pertaining to intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), and Section 506 (concerning criminal intimidation).
In another FIR on September 24, the police registered a case against a car with registration number UP52 AL2007 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These sections include Section 279 (related to rash driving or riding on a public way), Section 337 (pertaining to causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), Section 338 (concerned with causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and Section 304-A (addressing causing death by negligence).
Sameer said that he wants justice for his father, he also demanded the release of the “5 people arrested by the police.”
“Our father was the sole bread earner… We are a family of five, I study in 11th class, we have no source of income now!,” he said.
