New Delhi, March 10, 2023 (PPI-OT): Yet another Muslim man has become a victim of mob lynching over suspicion of carrying beef. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took up reins of India in 2014, many such cases have been reported with killings in broad day light by Hindutva mobs. Naseeb Qureshi was beaten to death by an unruly and violent mob over suspicion of carrying beef in Bihar’s Chhapra district.

Naseeb was waylaid by dozens of people armed with sticks and sharpened weapons as he was coming back home. The police in Chhapra have arrested three persons, Sushil Singh, Ravi Shah and Ujjawal Sharma. On Wednesday, an FIR was registered at the Rasulpur police station in Chhapra under IPC Sections 302, 379 and 34. “Raids are being conducted to arrest other accused,” the police said in a statement.

Qureshi was a resident of Siwan’s Hasanpur.

Ashraf Qureshi, a relative of Naseeb, told Clarion India that the victim was beaten to death by the mob in Chhapra’s Rasulpur over suspicion of carrying beef. “Naseeb is a laborer. He has six daughters and one son. One daughter is unmarried. She should be given a government job. Culprits must be punished,” he said. Ashraf has expressed his satisfaction with the action being taken by the police. According to local media, Naseeb was intercepted and beaten black and blue by dozens of people armed with sticks and sharpened weapons. The severe beating made him fall unconscious. He was taken to a hospital where he died.

Firoz Ahmed, a nephew of Naseeb, was accompanying his uncle when the gory incident took place. “When they entered Jogia village, a Sarpanch of the village incited people to grab and thrash us alleging that we were carrying beef. “When I heard the call to beat us up, I ran away. But they held my uncle and started assaulting him. I had run away very far. When I came back, I saw a crowd of villagers continuously thrashing my uncle. Then, I went to the local police station,” he said.

Firoz came back to the spot with the police at the spot. A local influential man, said to be mukhiya of the village, told them that he has sent the injured man to his area. The influential man also threatened Firoz with the same treatment as that of his uncle if he stayed there any longer, Firoz said. Firoz later found Naseeb in a local hospital in Chhapra in an unconscious condition. He was referred to Siwan Sadar hospital which also referred him to Patna. Naseeb breathed his last while being taken to Patna.

“We want justice…we are also humans. They only are not humans,” said Firoz. Initially, the Chhapra police tried to sweep the incident under the carpet as an “accident”, a Naseeb relative was quoted by local media as saying.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org