A 48-year-old Muslim man was assaulted and killed by a Hindu mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday, March 16 after he allegedly resisted having colours thrown on him during Holi.
The victim has been identified as Sharif, who lived near Qasim Nagar Rabbanna Mosque in Sadar. He was a driver in Saudi Arabia and had returned home two months ago.
According to Jagran reports, while the victim was heading to the mosque from his ancestral home in Mohalla Kanji, he encountered a group celebrating Holi near Mohalla Kashif Ali Sarai Chungi Jagran Power House. When colours were thrown at him, he objected, but the group repeated the act, leading to a heated argument that escalated into a physical attack.
Upon noticing the incident, bystanders rescued Sharif, helping him sit on a platform and giving him water.
Moments later, he collapsed and died.
The incident triggered tensions in the area, prompting heavy police deployment, including Rapid Response Teams from multiple stations. Angry residents took to the streets, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible.
The city circle officer, Sonam Singh and Shahar Qazi assured 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.”
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