A 48-year-old Muslim man was allegedly assaulted and killed by a Hindu mob while on his way to a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday after he resisted having colours thrown on him during Holi.
The victim, identified as 45-year-old Sharif, was a resident near Qasim Nagar Rabbanna Mosque in Sadar. He had been working as a driver in Saudi Arabia and had returned home two months ago.
On Saturday, while heading to the mosque from his ancestral home in Mohalla Kanji, he came across a group celebrating Holi near Mohalla Kashif Ali Sarai Chungi Power House. When the group threw colours on him, he objected. However, they repeated the act, leading to a heated argument that quickly escalated into a physical attack, Jagran reported.
Sharif was eventually rescued by bystanders who helped him sit on a platform and gave him water. Moments later, he collapsed and died.
The incident has sparked tensions in the area, leading to a heavy police presence, including Rapid Response Teams from multiple stations.
Outraged residents took to the streets, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. Despite discussions with CO City Sonam Singh and Shahar Qazi, tensions remained high.
Singh stated that a case would be registered based on complaints and that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend the attackers.
Meanwhile, Unnao Police, in a social media post, stated, “Kotwali Sadar police took the body into custody and conducted a postmortem with videography by a panel of doctors. The postmortem report cites cardiac arrest as the cause of death, with no injury marks found on the body. The police are thoroughly investigating all other aspects.”
