Tensions escalated in the communally sensitive city of Aligarh after a 35-year-old Muslim man, Farid alias Aurangzeb, was beaten to death by a group of Hindu men late on Tuesday night, who alleged that he tried to steal from a Hindu man's home.
The incident has exacerbated existing communal discord in the region, with members from both communities taking to the streets in protest, The Wire reported.
The fatal assault occurred around 10:15 pm on June 18, when Farid was returning home after making rotis. He was confronted by a group of locals near a bylane in Mohalla Mamu-Bhanja, who suspected him of attempting to steal from a nearby house.
The attackers, armed with lathis and other weapons, beat Farid severely. A video of the attack, widely circulated on social media, showed the mob assaulting Farid with kicks and punches.
Farid’s brother, Mohammed Zaki, filed a police complaint stating that the assailants identified Farid as a Muslim before attacking him, making this a case of mob lynching. The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against ten named individuals, all Hindus, and ten to twelve unidentified persons. The charges included murder, unlawful assembly, rioting with deadly weapons, wrongful restraint, and committing a crime with common intention.
By Wednesday afternoon, police had arrested four suspects. The primary accused were identified as Ankit Varshney, Chirag Varshney, Sanjay Varshney, Rishabh Pathak, Anuj Agrawal, Monu Pathak, Pandit Vijaygarhwala, Kamal Bansal, Dimpy Agrawal, and Rahul Agrawal. According to law enforcement, efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused individuals using CCTV footage for identification.
Following the assault, Farid was taken to Malkhan Singh Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The police maintained that the attackers believed Farid had entered the house with the intent to steal, though this claim has not been independently verified.
The incident sparked outrage among the local Muslim community, with a large group gathering outside the hospital demanding justice. Community leader and Samajwadi Party member Shaz Ishaq highlighted the anger and frustration among the locals, noting that the accused forced Farid to chant slogans and assaulted those who attempted to assist him.
In response to the arrests, Hindutva activists and traders staged a protest, demanding that the police halt further arrests. Despite the tensions, no further violent incidents were reported.
Police officials, including Aligarh’s senior superintendent of police Sanjiv Suman, reiterated the events leading to Farid's death and assured that the situation was under control. Suman emphasized that law and order were being maintained and that the police were taking necessary actions based on the demands of both communities.
He also clarified that reports of stone-pelting were false and that the post-mortem examination of Farid's body had been completed, with the burial carried out peacefully.