On 13th October a Muslim mob attacked a procession of Durga idol immersion which resulted in the brutal killing of Ram Gopal Mishra and several injuries in Maharajganj of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh. 45-year-old Santosh Tiwari who is the neighbour of prime accused Abdul Hamid was also among the injured. The latter was the mastermind behind the brutal assault on Hindus. Santosh was so severely thrashed that he needed to go to Lucknow for his treatment. His bike was also set on fire by the rowdy crowd. He spoke to OpIndia about the occurrence.
The roofs of the houses of Santosh Tiwari and Abdul Hamid are adjacent to each other. He has a shop of online services named “Tripathi Digital Seva Kendra” where he does printing and typing to financially support his family members. He has a wife and a minor daughter at home whose rooftop is adorned by a saffron flag. He stated that his entire family keeps fast for 9 days during Navratri. On the day of the incident, he was distributing prasad to the devotees participating in the procession when a commotion took place and violence broke out. Upon witnessing the chaos, he went inside his place and shut the gate. Someone then shouted that his bike had been set ablaze.
Santosh further narrated that he came outside to investigate and saw that his two-wheeler was burning intensely. He proceeded to save his vehicle when a Muslim throng with sticks and sharp weapons surrounded him and attacked him. He ran towards his house, but they dragged him and started beating him mercilessly. He mentioned that he had no personal animosity or acquaintance with any of his attackers who were also raising “Nara e Takbeer” slogans. Stones were also being pelted from the roofs, during this time. He conveyed that he fainted due to the vicious assault and the Muslims left believing him to be dead.
His family eventually pulled him inside the house and more police force arrived at the location after some time following which an ambulance was called. He was wounded in many places including his head. The Hindus took him to the local hospital from where he was sent to the district medical college. The doctors there referred him to Lucknow Medical College due to his critical condition.
According to Santosh Tiwari, he would have died if he reached Lucknow late. He also had a head injury, which was revealed during treatment. He also shared several pictures of him taken during his treatment with OpIndia including one with an oxygen mask on his face. He has returned home after treatment but is still very scared due to the anti-Hindu riot. He is worried about the future of his family. His house is right in front of the mosque, which many Hindu victims and eyewitnesses have accused of making announcements to incite the members of the Muslim community.
बहराइच में मस्जिद के आगे भीड़, भीड़ के आगे आग में जल रहा सामान… और आत्मरक्षा के लिए चिल्लाते हिंदू, वीडियो में बंदूक लिए पुलिस वाले भी
— ऑपइंडिया (@OpIndia_in) October 23, 2024
बहराइच में 'मस्जिद से हमला' की मीडिया रिपोर्ट को नकार रही वहाँ की पुलिस… इस नए वीडियो के आने के बाद क्या दोबारा जाँच करेगी UP पुलिस? pic.twitter.com/x1ZkLuMOfw
Something is seen burning in front of the mosque, in a viral video online. Some people on social media suspected that it could be Santosh Tiwari’s bike.
