Uttar Pradesh: Muslim man allegedly beaten to death by mob for resisting Holi colours

A Muslim man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday after he resisted their efforts apply Holi colours on him, reported the Hindustan Times.

The incident has sparked communal tensions in the area and prompted the deployment of several police personnel.

The man has been identified as 48-year-old Mohammad Sharif, according to Maktoob Media. Sharif had been working as a driver in Saudi Arabia and had returned home two months ago.

Mohammad Shamim, Sharif’s nephew, told the Hindustan Times that his uncle was on his way to a dairy when the auto rickshaw he was travelling in was intercepted by a group of people celebrating Holi near a temple, a day after the Hindu festival had officially concluded.

“He was being heckled, and the revellers were determined to apply colors,” Shamim was quoted as saying. “When I reached the site, my uncle was requesting them not to do so. The issue was settled then, but later, many of them caught hold of him again. I was told by witnesses that he was repeatedly slapped before he collapsed.”

The Unnao Police detained three persons in connection with Sharif’s death.

However, the police later said: “Kotwali Sadar police took the body into custody and conducted a postmortem with videography by a panel of doctors. The...

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