UP police arrest friend of lynching victim Qureshi for cow slaughter, not killers
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Once again highlighting the communal elements at work in the UP Police, a report suggested that the police arrested an associate of the 37-year-old man who was brutally beaten to death by a mob in Moradabad on allegations of cow slaughter while being notably cautious about not arresting those responsible for killing Mohammad Shahidin Qureshi.
The deceased, Qureshi, succumbed to his injuries at the Moradabad district hospital after the incident on December 30, The Indian Express reported.
Police said that Qureshi was critically injured when locals allegedly caught him and his associate, Mohammad Adnan, slaughtering an ox in the Majhola Mandi area. Adnan, who reportedly fled the scene, was arrested and has since admitted to the alleged crime during interrogation.
Authorities have registered two FIRs in the case. The first, filed by Qureshi’s brother, accuses unidentified persons of murder, while the second, filed suo motu by the police, accuses Qureshi and Adnan of cow slaughter. Law enforcement officials have stated that video footage from the incident is being analysed to identify those involved in the attack.
Qureshi’s family described him as the sole breadwinner until health issues forced him to stop working six months ago. He had been earning a living by transporting goods using rented hand carts. Following his illness, his teenage sons began working to support the family. Family members expressed their grief and outrage, questioning the necessity of the mob’s actions and the lack of intervention to prevent the fatal beating.
On the day of the incident, Qureshi left home early in the morning, informing his wife that he had some work. Hours later, family members were informed of his hospitalisation. They rushed to the hospital, where they found him severely injured. Attempts to transfer him to a private hospital proved futile, as he was declared dead on arrival.
Adnan allegedly accompanied Qureshi to the area for a sum of ₹500, with the intention of slaughtering a stray cattle, according to police. The mob gathered after hearing the sounds of a bovine animal near the site, leading to the fatal assault on Qureshi.