Photo: Maktoob Media
A 28-year-old Muslim driver, identified as Azeem, died at Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital on August 4, five days after he was allegedly assaulted following a road accident involving a vehicle carrying Kanwar pilgrims in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district.
According to Azeem’s family, he was attacked by a group of men after the pickup truck he was driving collided with an auto-rickshaw carrying Kanwariyas near the Garh toll plaza on July 31, Maktoob Media reported.
Azeem’s father, Intezar Hussain, told police that the collision was followed by an assault in which the auto driver and several passengers allegedly attacked his son. He alleged that Azeem was left at the scene after being beaten.
Police initially took Azeem to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was later referred to Meerut and subsequently shifted to Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi, where he remained under treatment for around five days before succumbing to his injuries on August 4.
In his complaint, Intezar alleged that the auto driver and other passengers were responsible for the assault. An FIR registered at Garh Mukteshwar police station names auto driver Farman, along with Manish, Ankit, Lokesh and Shivam, all residents of Bajheda Khurd village, as accused. Two unidentified persons have also been named.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with rioting, voluntarily causing hurt and attempt to murder.
The family maintains that the assault left Azeem critically injured and ultimately resulted in his death. However, police have also registered a cross-FIR based on a complaint filed by the auto driver.
In the counter-complaint, Azeem was accused of deliberately crashing his pickup into the auto-rickshaw and attempting to run over its driver. He was also booked under a provision relating to an attempt to murder.
A death certificate issued by Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, and reviewed by Maktoob lists bleeding inside the skull and around the brain, pressure on the brain and extensive brain swelling, followed by cardiopulmonary arrest, as the cause of death.
Following the circulation of claims about the incident on social media, Hapur Police said that a case had been registered at Garh Mukteshwar police station on the basis of a written complaint and that further legal proceedings were in progress.
For Azeem’s family, his death has also created a severe financial crisis. His father said he had been bedridden for the past two years and relied on Azeem to meet his medical expenses, healthcare needs and other household requirements.
Azeem is survived by his elderly father, his widowed wife and their five-month-old son. His family is seeking a fair investigation into the alleged assault and accountability for the circumstances surrounding his death.