Gorakhpur (UP), March 6 A 35-year-old farmer who had gone to inspect his fields while most locals were celebrating Holi, was allegedly lynched after asking a motorcyclist to slow down.
Gyanendra Chaudhary (35), a resident of the Maniram area, had gone to inspect his fields near the Rohin river on Wednesday afternoon when a young man from Karahiya village allegedly rode past him near a Shiv temple at high speed on a motorcycle, kicking up a cloud of dust, police said.
An argument ensued after Chaudhary asked the young man to slow down. In response, the motorcyclist called his associates, after which several men arrived at the scene armed with sticks and allegedly assaulted the farmer, police added.
Soon, villagers gathered at the scene and raised an alarm, believing Chaudhary to be dead from the assault. They said they saw the attackers flee after a commotion was raised.
Family members rushed the injured man to a private hospital in the Gorakhnath area, from where doctors referred him to BRD Medical College due to his critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at around 7 pm on the same day, police said.
A team from the Chiluatal police station reached the spot after receiving information and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Station House Officer Suraj Singh said further legal proceedings in the case are underway.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and two sticks and two motorcycles allegedly used in the crime have been recovered, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Sandeep Nishad, Sheshnath Nishad, Gautam Nishad, Ramesh Nishad, Vicky Rajbhar, and Rajan Nishad, all residents of Karahiya village in the district.
Chaudhary, the youngest of three brothers, is survived by his wife, Anjali, and their son, Raj, who is a high school student.