Tabrez Ansari, a 24-year-old man from Jharkhand, was recently lynched by a mob on suspicion of theft, in an attack that tragically took his life just over a month after his wedding. His family alleges that he was beaten, forced to chant religious slogans, and handed over to the police, where he succumbed to his injuries days later in the hospital.
This incident has brought back painful memories for the Ansari family, as Tabrez’s father, Maqsur Alam, had also met a violent end years earlier under mysterious circumstances. Alam’s death in a forest, after being with Hindu friends, remains unresolved, with all the suspects later found dead under similar unclear circumstances.
Tabrez had been working as a welder in Pune and had returned home to get married. The attack on him occurred as he was heading back home from Jamshedpur, and his two friends fled the scene during the assault. The police, despite receiving a complaint, arrived only the next day, by which time Tabrez had already been severely beaten. The family alleges that the police pressured hospitals to falsify his fitness report, and they have accused law enforcement of not taking swift action during the lynching.
Jharkhand, under BJP-led governance, has seen a troubling rise in mob lynching incidents, with at least 12 such killings, mostly involving Muslims, reported in the last few years. The ongoing cases have sparked outrage, with political leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi condemning the violence and the lack of justice for victims of hate crimes.
An SIT has been formed to investigate the case, and police officials are being questioned about their role in mishandling the incident.