“Our brother was in a critical condition. He was writhing in pain, struggling to breathe” Saithani said.
Until that day, Yusuf’s life had followed a routine that drew little attention. The 41-year-old street vendor, belonging to Village Banjara Nagla, sold artificial jewellery by walking from village to village, returning home each evening after earning enough to sustain his family. For more than 20 years, neighbours say, he had no disputes, no record of violence, and no known enmity.
Yusuf, who sold artificial jewellery by walking from village to village, had been earning his livelihood this way for over 20 years. According to neighbours, he had no history of disputes or conflicts.
“He never had issues with anyone. He earned his living as a street vendor and came home every evening,” Rajuddin, Yusuf’s neighbour, told FoEJ Media.
On December 7, Yusuf left his village in the morning, following his daily routine, and entered Bheemgaon to sell his goods. What happened next and why it happened remains unclear. However, by the end of the day, Yusuf was found lying unconscious on the roadside, severely injured.
Villagers provided multiple accounts of what may have transpired. Some alleged that Yusuf was called into a house on the pretext of selling jewellery, where he was locked inside a room and beaten mercilessly.
“He was dragged to the fields, his hands were tied behind him, and then he was beaten mercilessly,” Mohammed Qayuum, cousin of Yusuf, said.
Another version circulating in the village alleged that a minor dispute over sales escalated into hours of violence. Officially, the incident has been described as a “sales dispute” that turned violent. However, some residents on request of anonymity hinted at other motives.
“He was assaulted for being a Muslim” Sakina, a neighbour of Yusuf, said, adding that there has been no official confirmation of this suspicion.
By the time Yusuf’s family was informed, they were told by the police that he had met with a road accident. According to the police, Yusuf was found near a temple on Dibai Road and was identified using his Aadhaar card before his family was contacted.
When family members reached the hospital, they said the injuries on Yusuf’s body contradicted the accident narrative.
“My father was beaten to death. His body was covered in bruises,” Jannat, Yusuf’s daughter, told FoEJ Media.
Yusuf’s body had turned blue with bruises layered across it, suggesting sustained violence rather than injuries from a vehicular accident. Yusuf, who was unable to speak due to the severity of his injuries, lay in pain on the hospital bed.
Saithani, Yusuf’s sister, said doctors had raised similar concerns.
“Doctors also told us this was not an accident; it was a case of violence,” she said.
In the crucial early hours following the incident, Yusuf was shifted between multiple hospitals due to a lack of medical equipment — first in Danpur, then to Aligarh Medical College, and finally to Mannat Hospital, where he later died.
Yusuf, father of seven children, with his eldest daughter is barely 17 years old, while the youngest is under four and wife pregnant with their eighth child. He was also the sole caregiver for his partially deaf and blind elderly mother.
“My son had gone out only to sell his goods,” his mother said.
Yusuf also supported his widowed sister Saithani, including her medical expenses.
“We have faith in the government and expect the guilty to receive the strictest punishment,” Saithani said.
Jannat, Yusuf’s eldest daughter, summed up the family’s loss in simple words: “We no longer have a shadow over our heads. We have become orphaned. What should we do now? We want justice.”
For Yusuf’s family, he was not a “case” or an “incident,” but the only support in their lives. “Any sympathy or compensation cannot be weighed against the loss of his life” his family said.
Police have so far arrested two men- Rajendra Verma and Bharat, while two other suspects remain absconding. The motive behind the assault has still not been clearly established.
Was Yusuf killed over a sales dispute, or was there another reason behind the violence?
Authorities visited the family and villagers to offer condolences following Yusuf’s death.
“Everyone here is a vendor,” Qayuum, Yusuf’s cousin, said. “After this, even going out to work feels unsafe.”
