A man was allegedly lynched by a mob in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh on suspicion of theft on Wednesday, an incident which sparked communal tensions in the area and led to the arrest of six people.
The victim, Fareed (35), was attacked by the mob on Tuesday night in Mamu Bhanja locality, police said, adding that seven people part of the mob were identified and six were arrested.
According to a complaint filed by Fareed's family, he was returning home from work when he was mobbed and thrashed by some residents on Tuesday night in the Mamu Bhanja locality over suspicion of theft, news agency PTI quoted Superintendent of Police City M Shekhar Pathak as saying.
By the time police reached the spot, Fareed was seriously injured and was rushed to the Malkhan Singh Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said.
As the news of the incident spread, many people gathered at the hospital and demanded the arrest of the accused, the officer said.
Pathak said the arrests have been made based on CCTV footage, and a few unidentified people have also been booked.
Further investigation is underway.
RAF Deployed, Patrolling Intensified
SSP Sanjay Suman said that all precautionary measures have been enforced, adding that police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have also been deployed in sensitive localities including Subzi Mandi and Abdul Kareem Chowk.
The sector scheme has been enforced in all sensitive areas of the city, he added.
Meanwhile, people from both Hindu and Muslim communities gathered at some spots in the old city near Railway Road and some shops shut down their shutters, he said.
Police patrolling has been intensified in some areas identified as "sensitive spots", he added.
Several BJP leaders led by the city MLA Muktar Varshney staged a "dharna" near the Railway Road, demanding that no innocent person should be arrested based on fabricated evidence.
SP Pathak assured that arrests will be made following the due process of law.
