A 25-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in Bihar’s Siwan district on Sunday after being taken away from his home by a group of villagers on the pretext of “friendship.”
The deceased, identified as Shahzad Ali, was lynched to death in broad daylight in Shivrajpur village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Barharia police station.
“Some people came to the house and, under the pretext of friendship, took Shahzad outside. They then brutally beat him, tied him to a tree, and continued assaulting him,” Shahzad’s wife Mobina told FoEJ Media.
“As soon as I found out, I ran to the spot and pleaded with everyone. The Dial 112 team was also there, but no one listened to me and no one tried to stop it,” she added.
The images of Shahzad’s lifeless body seen by FoEJ Media shows bruises all over it, turning it blue.
Locals also alleged that the Dial 112 team arrived at the spot but acted as mere spectators.
According to Mobina, Shahzad was allegedly tied to a tree and then beaten mercilessly with sticks and kicks, resulting in his death. Shahzad leaves behind four children, the eldest aged 6 years.
Later a written complaint was submitted to police by Mobina for the same. In the complaint, Mobina claimed that several men arrived at their home on May 30 during morning hours, called Shahzad outside, took him away, and subsequently beat him to death.
Mobina names eight accused in the FIR—Amit Chaudhary alias Avadhesh Chaudhary, Pramendra Manjhi, Chhatthu Manjhi, Avadh Kishore Chaudhary, Guddu Manjhi, Ranjan Chaudhary, and Mantu Kumar.
“There was no prior enmity. My husband never fought with anyone and had no disputes with anyone,” Mobina told FoEJ Media.
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered by Barharia police against eight individuals, and they conducted an investigation.
Police said efforts are underway to apprehend the accused, who remain absconding. Additional security personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Barharia SHO Chhotan Kumar said Shahzad had been accused of mobile phone theft in the village four days ago. He said police reached the spot immediately after receiving information about the incident and helped the family take him to the Sadar Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“Based on the family’s statement, an FIR has been registered against Amit Kumar, Pramendra Manjhi, Chhathu Manjhi, Awadhkishore Chaudhary, Guddu Manjhi, Rajan Chaudhary, Mantu Kumar, and 8-10 unidentified persons. Efforts are underway to arrest the accused,” the SHO said.
It is imperative to note that a few months ago, Shahzad’s brother was also found dead in suspicious condition. He was found dead hanging from a tree.
“A few months ago, Shahzad’s brother was also killed. He was found hanging from a tree. We did not file a complaint because we were afraid,” Mobina told FoEJ Media.
