In Parsoi village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, a 60-year-old man was killed over a dispute concerning a concrete platform where villagers kept Muharram ‘Tazias’, The Indian Express reported.
As per reports, the incident happened on the night of 20 March, when, according to the FIR lodged at the Obra police station, the victim, Mohammed Anwar, was attacked when he tried to prevent a group of people from demolishing the platform.
The victim’s family, as per reports, told that the platform was never a cause of dispute between the muslims and the dominant scheduled tribes in the region. They allege that since Kharwar, the prime accused in the case, joined the government school six months back, the tensions began. Kharwar, according to Mr. Anwar’s brother, began holding a Sangh shakha near the platform.
Naeem Ghazipuri, Anwar’s elder brother told The Indian Express that the village pradhan had got the platform built in 2007 to keep the tazias during Muharram and that the residents of the village used to take part in the procession.
However, when the teacher joined six months ago, he allegedly instigated the villagers and got the platform demolished. Later, a compromise was arrived at and the platform was rebuilt.
About a month ago, the platform was destroyed again and was, once more, rebuilt after a compromise with the administration.
However, on the eve of Holi, some people came and tried to demolish the platform again, when Mr. Anwar intervened, the FIR stated.
The suspects have been booked under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, the report says.
