Lakhimpur Kheri: An angry mob set on fire the furniture shop of on Zahid Akhtar who had allegedly shared an “objectionable video” of a girl on social media in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.
The girl was found dead in her room two days ago.
The girl, who had completed Class 12 this year, was found hanging at home on Thursday. An FIR under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide) was registered against the main accused Akhtar and three of his kin on Friday.
Members of right-wing groups and other locals set his furniture shop on fire in Lakhimpur Kheri district on Saturday.
The girl’s family along with local residents and some right-wing members took to the streets and held Akhtar, 20, responsible for her “suicide”. They refused to cremate the body and burnt down the man’s property.
Heavy police force was soon deployed after the mob started pelting stones. Initially, they demanded that the man’s house be “demolished by a bulldozer”, and later agreed to conduct her last rites only after “assurances of arrest and a fair probe” by District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh and SSP Ganesh Prasad Saha.
SSP (Kheri) Saha said, “The incident took place in Sampoorna Nagar. The victim and the main accused belonged to the same neighbourhood. He has been arrested and the role of three others is being investigated. We will file a charge sheet against the main accused and ensure the case is heard in court on a fast-track basis. Scientific and circumstantial evidence are being collected and the circle officer will oversee the investigation.”
The victim’s elder sister said, “She was a bright student. Her life was ruined by this young man. He deserves capital punishment.” Their father had died of illness a year ago and the mother manages the family.
–IANS