Muslim man beaten to death in Bihar

Three held; police rule out hate crime

Days after the charred body of a Muslim youth was found in Samastipur district of Bihar, a video has emerged of him being beaten up brutally by a group, asking if he “ate beef”.

The victim, Mohammed Khalil Alam, is said to be a leader of the JD(U) youth wing in the district.

In the horrific video that has gone viral on social media, Alam is seen pleading with folded hands to the perpetrators saying he has not eaten beef. Amid the brutal beating, he then says he has consumed 50 kg of beef so far. One of the perpetrators asks him details of beef available in the Musrigharari area of the district and people involved in the trade.

Alam’s body, which was found buried on the banks of river Budhi Gandak in the district, was recovered on February 19.

When Alam went missing, his brother had lodged a complaint with the Musrigharari police station, saying that his family had been receiving threatening phone calls demanding money for his brother’s safe release. According to the FIR, the family kept receiving calls from the victim’s mobile phone asking for ₹5 lakh. The caller claimed that Alam had borrowed ₹5 lakh from him and threatened to sell his kidney if the family delayed the payment.

“Of the five accused persons, the police have arrested three and sent them to jail,” Samastipur Superintendent of Police Hriday Kant told The Hindu over phone. Mr. Kant said the “video was shot and circulated on social media to foment social tension and also to divert attention of society and police from the real cause of the incident.” “Yes, the incident happened for money and nothing else. I myself interrogated the arrested people who are aged between 18 and 20,” said the SP. “I was shocked how they got such an idea at such a young age,” he added.

The police lodged another FIR on February 21 at the Musrigharari police station after the video went viral on social media by the handle of one Anurag Jha, alias Bittu Jha.