Man whom mob forced to say 'Jai Shri Ram' and brutally thrashed, dies

Ranchi, June 24: A man was reportedly thrashed so brutally in Jharkhand on the allegation of stealing a motorcycle that he succumbed to his injuries. The shocking incident is said to have taken place in Seraikela on June 18.

The man, Tabrez Ansari, was tied to a pole and brutally beaten up for over seven hours. He died in a hospital on Saturday. The video of the incident has gone viral. Tabrez Ansari works as a labourer and a welder.

Some people in the mob also reportedly forced Ansari, a 24-year-old worker who had come home for Eid, to chant 'Jai Sri Ram' and 'Jai Hanuman'.

The video is very disturbing as one can see that the victim repeatedly pleads the mob to leave him, but people in the video continue to thrash him brutally even as Tabrez looks terrified and soaked with sweat.

According to the reports, Tabrez was handed over to the police on June 18 after being beaten up by the mob for hours and was in the judicial custody. However, he was transferred to Sadar hospital in the district after his health deteriorated.

An FIR has reportedly been filed and an investigation is said to be underway. One accused by the name Pappu Mandal has been arrested following Tabrez's death.

Tabrez's family has reportedly alleged that the entire incident was communal and that he was thrashed because he was a Muslim.

"They thrashed him and later gave him to police. He was suspected of theft but it was a communal attack. He was beaten because he had a Muslim name. They made him chant 'Jai Shri Ram' & 'Jai Hanuman' again & again. I demand the culprits be arrested," Maqsood Alam, relative of Tabrez was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.