PRAYAGRAJ: A youth was allegedly lynched by a mob in the neighbouring Kaushambi district while his brother was admitted to hospital with severe injuries when they were intercepted while making an abortive bid to escape after opening fire on a mob in Bhirpur village under the limits of Pipri police station on Monday morning.
The deceased was identified as Zafar Alam, a resident of Asrauli village while his elder brother, Noor Alam, was battling for life at a hospital.
An FIR was lodged against an unidentified mob for murder and attmpted murder in connection with the death of Zafar and injuries suffered by his brother Noor.
In charge of Pipri police station, Inspector Adtiya Vikram Singh, told TOI that the incident took place around 10 am on Monday when locals if Bhirpur intercepted Zafar who used to frequent the village to meet a girl from the Kori community. Police, quoting the girl’s parents, said the villagers had earlier warned Zafar of meeting the girl.
On Monday, when they spotted him in the village on a motorcycle, they intercepted him. A scuffle ensued during which Zafar somehow managed to contact his brother Noor who was somewhere near the village itself and rushed to rescue him. In the meantime, as the mob tried to zero in on Zafar, he opened fire from a 315 bore countrymade pistol, further adding to the resentment in the village. As Zafar ran out of bullets, the mob pounced on him and thrashed him. When his elder brother reached the site and tried to rescue Zafar, he, too, was thrashed.
“When we got the information, we rushed to the spot and asked cops from three adjoining police stations to reach the site as back-up. We rushed the two to the hospital where Zafar (18) was declared dead and Noor (26) is undergoing treatment with severe injuries,” Inspector Aditya Vikram said.
Kaushambi police said a detailed investigation was under way to establish the exact sequence of events that ended in Zafar's death and left Noor critically wounded. “We are corroborating each and every piece of information to establish the sequence of events backed with evidence,” he said. Additional police pickets have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.
