Two cattle transporters died and one sustained severe injuries after they were allegedly attacked by a mob in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, the police said on Saturday. The police have formed a 14-member special team to probe the case after the victims' families claimed they were mob lynched.
The deceased have been identified as Guddu Khan alias Mohamed Tehsin (35) and Chand Miya (33). The man injured in the incident, Saddam Kureshi, was transferred to a hospital in Raipur.
All three men were from Uttar Pradesh. Guddu Khan was from Saharanpur, and Chand Miya from Shamli district.
Bodies of both the victims have been sent for postmortem and the reports are awaited.
Families of the victims have claimed that they were assaulted by a mob of at least 10-12 men and thrown off a bridge on River Mahanadi. However, the police have found no evidence so far to suggest it was a case of mob lynching.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police (Raipur rural) Kirtan Rathore, the incident took place in the early hours of Saturday under the jurisdiction of the Arang police station.
Upon receiving an alert that three individuals were lying injured below a 30-feet high bridge on River Mahanadi, a police team was dispatched to the scene, Rathore stated. The truck used to transport cattle was found on the bridge.
Of the three men, one was found dead on the spot, and the other two were in critical condition. They were taken to a hospital in Mahasamund, where one succumbed to his injuries, the official said.
"Autopsy reports of the deceased men are awaited. We have requested doctors to provide a brief report as soon as possible. We are also reviewing CCTV footage along the route. Till now, we have no evidence to suggest mob lynching. Efforts are being made to identify those who chased them," Rathore said while speaking to news agency PTI.
According to police, the injured man is currently unable to provide a statement.
"Injuries can be caused if they had fallen from a 30-feet high bridge and landed on the stones. Only a post-mortem report can determine how the injuries were caused," Rathore said.
Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and further investigations into the matter are ongoing.
(With inputs from Ajay Kuma Sony.)
Published By:
Sahil Sinha
Published On:
Jun 8, 2024
English (US) ·