UP lynching: another video surfaces

In a shocking twist to the lynching of a 45-year-old Muslim man by a mob of cow vigilantes in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district a few days ago, a second video surfaced on social media on Saturday showing an old Muslim man being assaulted and forced to confess to the slaughter.

The video shows a man, who was identified as 65-year-old Samaydeen, being beaten and abused by a frenzied mob.

The footage, that triggered a massive outrage, shows a bloodied Samaydeen begging to be let off while the mob is seen pulling his beard, asking for his and his father's name and forcing him to confess to cow slaughter.

Samaydeen was admitted to a hospital.

The earlier video had shown 45-year-old Quasim being thrashed by the same mob at Bajhaura Khurd village in the district a few days ago.

Quasim, who had been caught by the mob with Samaydeen after their motorbike had reportedly collided with another one, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

An injured Quasim was later dragged to the hospital by some people, including a policeman.

The Uttar Pradesh Police, which received flak after a photograph emerged on social media showing a bloodied Quasim being dragged, tendered an apology and three personnel were suspended in this connection.

According to sources, the mob caught hold of Quasim and Samaydeen, both residents of the same district, after some women, who were working in the fields near Bajhaura Khurd village in the district, raised an alarm on seeing the duo with a cow and a calf on Monday evening.