UP Man Lynched Over Buffalo Theft Suspicion; Police First Said "Overdose"

A 22-year-old man who was home from Dubai was lynched in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly by villagers who suspected that he had stolen a buffalo. The incident was reported from Bholapur Hindoliya village in Bareilly district late on Tuesday night. According to the police, the villagers called them and told them that Shahrukh Khan and three of his friends were trying to steal a buffalo.

The police took him to the district hospital, where he died during treatment. "The villagers informed us about the incident. We took the man to the hospital. It seems he had overdosed on drugs. He was a regular user," said Abhinandan, city Superintendent, said on Wednesday.

Mr Khan's post-mortem report, however, revealed that he died of internal injuries to his liver and kidneys. The same officer confirmed to NDTV today that the report hasn't established a drug overdose.

"It was a case of mob lynching," Mr Abhinandan said. "Four men had gone to the village to steal a buffalo around 2.30 am, but they were caught. Three of them jumped into a pond and escaped. But Khan didn't know how to swim so he was left behind," he added.

Mr Khan worked at an embroidery unit in Dubai and had come home about a month ago. According to his brother Firoz, he went out with friends after receiving a call from one of them. When he didn't return home, his family got worried, but thought he would come back by morning. In the morning, they received a call from the police who told them that Khan was in hospital.

Mr Khan's family has rubbished the theft allegations. "He worked in Dubai and other places in the Gulf. He has also stayed in Delhi or Mumbai. He has never done anything wrong. He was self sufficient. Majid and Pappu had called him that day and gave him a pill," Firoz claimed.

The police have registered two cases. One accuses 25 people of murder. The other case of buffalo theft, based on a First Information Report or an FIR by villagers, names Khan and his three friends. There haven't been any arrests in either of the cases.