Meerut : Three men, including a flour mill owner, were arrested on Monday in connection with the fatal assault on a 60-year-old journalist in Hapur.
Police said searches are on and CCTV analyses are underway to nab many other suspects.
The arrested accused have been identified as mill owner Ashok Kumar (50) and his employees Naresh Kumar (45) and Kapil Kumar (35). Hapur Dehat SHO Paras Malik confirmed that a case has been registered under BNS sections 103 (murder), 191 & 192 (rioting and provocation to cause rioting) and 351 & 352 (criminal intimidation and intentional insult). Following widespread outrage over the attack, police launched a swift crackdown, reviewing surveillance footage from the vicinity to track down all members of the mob.
SP Madhuban Singh said police are analysing the sequence of events to ensure every individual involved faces legal action. “Other suspects have also been identified through CCTV footage from the area. Further investigation is underway, and action will be taken against all those found involved in the incident,” SP Singh stated. The incident occurred when Naseem, along with two female media colleagues, a coworker named Salauddin, and a driver, visited the flour mill on Jarothi road to request an advertisement for their newspaper’s upcoming Diwali edition.
The victim, Mohd Naseem Ahmed, a senior journalist with Hindi daily Dainik Janwani, was killed after stepping in to protect his colleagues from an attacking mob on Sunday afternoon.
“Naseem was sitting in the car when he saw eight to 10 men assaulting us. The arrest of the primary accused comes as little solace to Naseem’s devastated family, who were actively preparing for his younger daughter Mantasha’s wedding, scheduled for Nov 14. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Meerut | Silver Rate in Meerut | Bank Holidays in Meerut | Public Holidays in Meerut | Meerut AQI | Weather in Meerut | Petrol Price in Meerut | Diesel Price in Meerut | CNG Price in Meerut | LPG Price in Meerut Stay updated with the latest Meerut news.
An eyewitness, the mill owner rejected the ad request and accused the group of being impostors posing as journalists, according to Salauddin. When he tried to intervene, they attacked him and he fell to the ground,” Salauddin said. “No external injury marks were visible on the body. However, the exact cause of death will be ascertained only after the postmortem report arrives,” SHO Malik added. Naseem, a resident of Awas Vikas Colony in Hapur, was rushed in critical condition to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared him brought dead. SP Singh later visited the crime scene and met with the victim’s grieving family. His elder daughter, Adiba, is already married. Download the TOI App.