A youth from the minority community was lynched after he was accused of harassing women at a ghat during Chhath Puja in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district when he went to meet his girlfriend who belongs to a Hindu family.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening. The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Muhammad Nehal. The girl is also of the same age.
According to the police, Nehal was in a relationship with the girl for over two years. They had eloped, after which the girl’s family had registered a kidnapping case against Nehal. Arrested, he had to spend a few months in jail.
On Sunday, Nehal left his house and reached the place where evening arghya (salutations) were being offered to the Sun God. The girl and her family were also participating in the rituals.
Devotees gather to perform Chhath Puja rituals on the banks of Ganga in Patna on Monday. PTI picture
A senior police officer said the girl’s family members recognised the youth and accused him of harassing women. They caught him and assaulted him with bricks and stones. He died on the spot.
A friend accompanying Nehal was also attacked. The police admitted the friend to a government hospital in a critical condition. The body of Nehal was sent to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital for the post-mortem.
“We are investigating the incident. We are looking at various aspects. The two had courted each other and eloped. A case pertaining to this is still continuing in the court. We do not know whether the relationship between the two continued or there was a break-up. The investigation will reveal these things,” Kanti police station sub-inspector Rajiv Kumar Pal told The Telegraph.
However, the police had not registered any FIR till Monday afternoon.
“We are waiting for a written statement from the family of Nehal to register an FIR. We will register it,” Pal said.
Nehal’s body reached his house on Monday after the post-mortem, following which the residents in the residents turned restive.
They protested with the body and blocked the main thoroughfare for several hours, demanding the arrest of his killers.
A large number of police personnel led by sub-divisional police officer Raghav Dayal rushed to the spot and pacified the people.
