E-Paper
In Meerut: Youth ‘lynched’ after motorbike hits man from another community
A mob allegedly thrashed three youths after their motorbike hit a youngster of another community in village Kanshi, under Partapur police station of Meerut district,
A mob allegedly thrashed three youths after their motorbike hit a youngster of another community in village Kanshi, under Partapur police station of Meerut district, on Sunday. While one of the victims, Sohaib, reportedly succumbed to his injuries, another victim, Aamir, is still under treatment at a hospital in the district, while the third, Sarfaraz received minor injuries. However, police refused to call it a case of mob lynching or communal violence and claimed that the four were injured after their motorbikes collided with each other.
Police also said they had arrested two villagers on the charge of inciting others but did not name them. Brijesh Kumar, public relations officer to the SSP told HT late on Sunday night that an FIR was being registered in the case, but did not disclose under what sections. However, when HT reached out to SP (city) AN Singh, he said that no FIR was being registered as per his information.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Meerut Ajay Kumar Sahni said that four friends -- Aamir, Sohaib, Sarfaraz and Nadeem -- were travelling through the village on two motorcycles. “Aamir and Sohaib were on one bike, which lost balance at a speed-breaker and hit a youth, Jatan, who was walking on the road. Scared, Aamir and Sohaib sped their bike in a bid to escape from the spot but the vehicle hit a roadside pole.”
He said that the four, while trying to escape, had another accident in which their motorbikes collided. According to the SSP, it was this accident that resulted in the four sustaining injuries and not any mob violence.
But a video of the alleged incident that went viral on social media did not support these claims. It shows villagers hurling abuses at the youths who are seen lying injured on the roadside. In the same video, a mob is also seen beating a youth inside a house.
SP (city) told HT that the three youths seen lying injured in the video were Aamir, Sohaib and Jatan (whom their bike had hit). He said he had no video of any youth being beaten up inside a house.
Reportedly, after Aamir and Sohaib’s bike hit Jatan, his family members and other villagers chased the four and thrashed them. Sarfaraz, also hurt, is believed to have escaped from the spot. Nadeem reportedly remained unhurt and also escaped.
Sources said that the family members and supporters of the inured youths also reached the spot and confronted the attacking group, however, the situation was brought under control through the intervention of village elders and the police.
The SSP, who refused to term the incident as a communal clash, calling it an accident instead, said that additional force had been deployed in the village to “prevent any untoward incident from taking place”.
He also said that cases would be registered against those “spreading rumours of Hindu-Muslim clashes and mob lynching”.
