UP Police apologise for controversial picture of lynched man dragged in Hapur

UP Police tweeted, "We are Sorry for the Hapur Incident. Law & order incidents often lead to unintended yet undesirable acts."

Qasim (45) was beaten to death by a frenzied mob at Hapur in western Uttar Pradesh, around 60 km off Delhi, allegedly over rumours of cow slaughter, media reports said.

Another person was seriously injured.

The incident took place on Monday in Pilakhuwa village.

The man was beaten to death by a mob at a sugarcane field in Hapur’s Pilakhuwa and 65-year-old Samiuddin was injured in the incident.

Police have arrested two men — Yudhishtir Singh and Rakesh Sisodia — on the charges of murder.

NDTV reported quoting the police that the two men were brutally thrashed after an argument with some bike-borne men from the neighbouring village.

But according to report in the Indian Express, the families of the victims and the two alleged attackers, who have been arrested, claim the assault was related to cattle smuggling. 

Qasim, according to his family, had received a phone call hours before the incident at around 11 am Monday.

“He was at home yesterday and he left immediately stating that he will be back by 4 pm. He took around Rs 60,000-70,000. We had asked him to not leave in a hurry and to return quickly. He used to go to neighbouring villages to procure and sell cattle and we thought that it must be regarding his business,” said Qasim’s daughter-in-law Arshi.

A few hours later, two men had hurried to Qasim’s house to inform the family that he had been rushed to the hospital after he was mercilessly assaulted around five km away.

A video has also surfaced that shows Qasim lying in a field, his clothes torn and bruises across his body.

A video went viral in which  Qasim is seen pleading for some water as a group of young men stand in the background.

A voice asks people to calm down since they have already beaten the man and requests the mob to give Qasim some water. Soon after, another person is heard saying that cows were tied in the fields for slaughtering.