Police launch probe amid claims that the attack was carried out on suspicion of theft
GORAKHPUR — A group of villagers brutally assaulted a middle-aged Muslim man and left his badly injured body at the roadside in the Thathauli area of Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning.
Residents of the village on a morning walk spotted the body of Mushtaq Ali, in his late 40s. He was a resident of Badgo village. The villagers informed the police who took the body into custody and sent it for post-mortem.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, according to The Observer Post.
A video circulating on social media shows the victim being brutally beaten by a group of villagers. It is being claimed that he died after the assault, which was reportedly carried out on suspicion of theft.
UP: चोरी करने के संदेह में एक मुसलमान की पीट-पीटकर हत्या!
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गोरखपुर के गगहा में मृतक मुस्ताक अहमद (48) के परिजनों से प्राप्त तहरीर के आधार पर थाना पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया है। 1 व्यक्ति को पुलिस हिरासत में लेकर पूछताछ तथा पुलिस कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
⚠️… pic.twitter.com/0xVYIQFTZT
However, some villagers report that Mushtaq had been suffering from mental illness for some time and was undergoing treatment. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem.
“We are investigating the matter from all angles,” said police station incharge Sushil Kumar Chaurasia, according to the report.
This incident tragically echoes past instances where individuals, particularly from minority communities, have been subjected to mob violence under accusations—often baseless—such as theft or illegal cattle transport and others.
Such patterns motivate concerns about escalating communal tensions and instances of extrajudicial acts fuelled by rumours or suspicion—and underscore the urgent need for justice and accountability.
Such incidents require the authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial investigation to determine the facts, motives, and identities of those responsible.
