
Hapur Police on Thursday arrested two men, Lokesh and Shivam, in connection with the death of Mohd Azeem, a 27-year-old driver from Moradabad who succumbed to injuries on August 4 after an…
Hapur Police on Thursday arrested two men, Lokesh and Shivam, in connection with the death of Mohd Azeem, a 27-year-old driver from Moradabad who succumbed to injuries on August 4 after an alleged assault by Kanwariyas. The incident began on July 31 when Azeem's mini-truck collided with an auto-rickshaw ferrying Kanwariyas near Garhmukhteshwar.

Competing accounts have emerged. The deceased's father alleges that auto driver Farman and his associates assaulted Azeem. Farman's father has filed a counter-FIR claiming Azeem deliberately rammed his vehicle into his son, who was also seriously injured. The Hindu reports two arrests; Siasat.com says four Kanwariyas have been arrested. Police say Farman's role will be decided after reviewing his medical records.

This case risks being reduced to a communal flashpoint when the facts are still contested. The victim's family and the auto driver's family have both lodged FIRs, and the police have arrested some but not all accused. Rather than assume a narrative of mob violence or victim-blaming, wait for the medical records of auto driver Farman, they will show whether he could have assaulted Azeem after his own injury. That document is the test.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, siasat.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.