Man’s body found near south Delhi drain, family alleges mob lynching

According to family members, Sheru was tied to a tree and, thrashed and murdered by a group of five to six men who suspected Sheru of attempting a theft in the locality

The body of a 25-year-old man was found near a drain in south Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar on Thursday morning, police said.

According to them, Sheru was tied to a tree and, thrashed and murdered by a group of five to six men who suspected Sheru of attempting a theft in the locality.

According to Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), the incident came to notice around 10.30am, when a passerby saw a man’s body lying near a drain and called the police control room. The station house officer (SHO) of New Friends Colony along with other police personnel reached the spot. “The man has been identified as Mohammad Sheru who lived with his family in a slum in Taimoor Nagar pahari,” Biswal said.

Family members of Sheru alleged that he was a victim of mob lynching. According to them, Sheru was tied to a tree and, thrashed and murdered by a group of five to six men who suspected Sheru of attempting a theft in the locality. His elder brother Mohammad Ashu alleged that the men then murdered his brother in a public park at Khizrabad in Taimoor Nagar. Ashu claimed to have identified one of the attackers.

Police, however, said that the body was not found near any tree. “Sheru had ten criminal cases registered against him. He was also a drug addict,” added Biswal.

Sheru’s family also alleged that Sheru was mercilessly beaten with sticks and rods that caused multiple injuries all over his body. They said that the attackers rubbed chilli powder and salt all over his body.

No case was registered in connection with the matter till Friday evening. An inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC was initiated by the police.

“My brother left home around 5am. Around 9am, a neighbour told me that some people had tied my brother to a tree and thrashing him for attempting a theft in the area. When I reached there with my three neighbours, the attackers attacked us as well and forced us to leave,” said Ashu when contacted on the phone. He added that Sheru’s body was lying near the park when they went there again around 10am.

DCP Biswal questioned Ashu’s allegations, saying why he did not call the police when he saw his brother was being attacked. Biswal said that Ashu was not present when the body was spotted. “We have not found any eyewitness who could tell us that the man was a victim of a mob lynching,” he said.