UP pickup driver beaten on July 31, dies from injuries on August 4
Lucknow: A Muslim pickup truck driver allegedly succumbed to his injuries five days after a group of Kanwariyas assaulted him following an accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district.
A resident of Moradabad, 27-year-old Azeem Ali, had left for Delhi in his pickup on July 31 when his vehicle collided with an auto rickshaw carrying multiple Kanwariyas on their way to collect holy water from Ganga. The accident occurred near Shiva Dhaba under the jurisdiction of Garhmukhteshwar police station.
According to the local police, the pickup truck lost control and collided with the auto, hitting the driver, Farmaan, who was standing next to his vehicle. While Farmaan sustained injuries, the Kanwariyas dragged Azeem out of his vehicle and attacked him.
The mob allegedly left him severely injured at the scene. The police took Azeem to a local hospital, and from there, to Meerut.
Speaking to The Print, Azeem’s wife said she was notified about the assault on August 2. “When the phone rang, I thought it was him, but it wasn’t.”
The police told her over the phone after calling her at 5 am that her husband was shifted to a Meerut-based hospital and his condition was rapidly worsening.
Azeem’s elder brother, Maqbool Ali, said, “We got to know that he had met with an accident. When we reached the hospital, we saw his body wrapped in bandages and the doctor informed us that he had gone into a coma.”
It was only at the hospital in Meerut that the family learned that his pickup had hit the auto carrying Kanwariyas. “His truck had collided with an auto, and then the Kanwariyas sitting inside the auto pulled out my brother and beat him up mercilessly. The police then drove him to a hospital.”
Maqbool said that when he tried to speak to Azeem, he was unable to comprehend his brother’s condition. “Woh toh laash ki tarah pada huya tha (he was lying like a lifeless body).”
He was subsequently taken to the Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi, with his condition showing no signs of improvement. He died on the sixth day, August 4.
“On 4 August, around 9 pm, the doctor called to inform us that he was no more. If my brother had made some mistake, why not hand him over to the police? Why beat him up?” said Maqbool.
Following his death, a first information report (FIR) was booked at the Garmukhteshwar Police Station. Five people, including Kanwariyas Manish, Ankit, Lokesh, Shivam, and the auto driver Farmaan, have been arrested. Two unidentified individuals were also mentioned in the FIR, filed by the victim’s family.
The accused were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections related to rioting, voluntarily causing simple injury, and attempt to murder.
The Hapur Police issued a statement on X following reports of Azeem’s death circulating online. “On the basis of the complaint received in connection with the case, a case has been registered under relevant sections at Garhmukteshwar police station and further legal action is being taken.”
While the accused were booked, a counter-FIR was registered against Ali by the auto driver’s father, Imran. Farmaan’s father claimed that his 19-year-old son was hit by Ali’s vehicle, which drove over him, resulting in severe injuries.
In the complaint, Imran said Farmaan sustained serious injuries to his stomach and was under treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences trauma centre.
Authorities registered the FIR and charged Ali with attempted murder.
Azeem’s father, Intezar Hussain, told Maktoob Media that his son’s death has left the family in shambles, depriving them of their primary source of income.
“Ab to mera koi sahara hi nahi bacha (I am left with no support now),” said Hussain, who has been bedridden for the last few years. He had depended on his son to manage his medicines and oversee his health, all while the 27-year-old looked after his own family. “He used to look after my health, medicines and family. Now that he is gone, I am left with no support,” he said.
“We don’t know any of the attackers,” added Hussain. “The police named the accused on their own. All we want is a fair investigation and justice.”
Azeem is survived by his father, his wife, and five-month-old son.
This post was last modified on August 9, 2026 3:28 pm