UP: Farmer beaten to death on Holi after asking biker to slow down; 6 arrested

Gorakhpur (UP), Mar 6 (PTI) A 35-year-old farmer who set out on a regular inspection of his fields while most locals were revelling in Holi celebrations, ended up getting allegedly lynched just because he asked a biker to slow down. Gyanendra Chaudhary (35), a resident of the Maniram area here, had gone to inspect his fields near the Rohin river on Wednesday afternoon when a youth from Karahiya village allegedly rode past him near a Shiv temple at high speed on a motorcycle, kicking up a cloud of dust, police said. An argument ensued after Chaudhary asked the youth to slow down. In response, the biker summoned his associates, after which several men arrived at the spot armed with sticks and allegedly assaulted the farmer, police added. Soon, villagers gathered at the scene and raised an alarm, believing Chaudhary to be dead from the assault. They said they saw the attackers flee after a hue and cry was raised. Family members rushed the injured man to a private hospital in the Gorakhnath area, from where doctors referred him to BRD Medical College due to his critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at around 7 pm on the same day, police said. A team from the Chiluatal police station reached the spot after receiving information and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Station House Officer Suraj Singh said further legal proceedings in the case are underway.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and two sticks and two motorcycles allegedly used in the crime have been recovered, officials said.

The accused have been identified as Sandeep Nishad, Sheshnath Nishad, Gautam Nishad, Ramesh Nishad, Vicky Rajbhar and Rajan Nishad, all residents of Karahiya village in the district.

Chaudhary, the youngest among three brothers, is survived by his wife Anjali and their son, Raj, who is a high school student. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL