Two Muslim men were found dead after allegedly being chased by cow vigilantes while transporting cattle in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district on Friday, May 7. A third person was found critically injured.
According to reports, the bodies of the deceased – Guddu Khan, 35, and Chand Miya Khan, 23 – were found lying below the rocks while the third person – Saddam Qureshi, 23 – is battling between life and death. Chand Miya and Qureshi were cousins and residents of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh while Guddu Khan hailed from Shamli district, UP.
Probe on, say police
Police have launched an investigation. The additional superintendent of police, Raipur district, Kirtan Rathore said that Qureshi’s statements and CCTV footage will be vital in the probe.
“We received information that they were being chased by some people, after which they were found lying below the Mahanadi bridge. On receiving the information, our team rushed to the spot. While one of them had died, two were rushed to a hospital in Mahasamund, where another succumbed. The third is in a serious condition at a hospital in Raipur city,” Rathore said.
The police officer refused to comment when asked if it was a case of mob lynching. “We are checking the CCTV footage. Efforts are being made to identify those who chased the trio. We cannot say anything now,” he said.
Asked if the bodies had external injuries, Rathore said, “Yes, but they fell off the bridge from a height of around 30 feet and landed on stones. For us, it’s difficult to identify whether all injuries were caused by the fall or some were inflicted before falling. Only doctors can clarify how the injuries were caused.”
Family alleges murder
However, another cousin of Qureshi and Chand Miya said that they knew their brothers were in danger after receiving a call at 2 am and then on 4 am.
“Qureshi was a helper. He called and kept the phone in his pocket. He was screaming that his hand and leg were broken. He was pleading, ‘bhaiya paani pila do ek ghoot. Maro mat bas paani pila do (give me a sip of water, please don’t beat me),” the cousin alleged. “We could also hear some men ask him, ‘kahan se laaye ho… chodenge nahi (where did you bring it from… we will not spare you),” The Indian Express reported.
“We did not seek police help as we had no idea that the incident will lead to their murders. At 5 pm, when we tried calling Chand again, a police personnel received the call saying he was dead,” the cousin said.
However, police officer Rathore has refuted claims of Chand’s family. “It is too early to say anything. Investigations are on. We will check the call detail records to find out who all the victims spoke to and record their statements. We will also record the statement of family members,” he said.
