Driver dies days after assault by group of kanwariyas in Uttar Pradesh; FIRs give conflicting accounts
A 24-year-old driver died following a violent altercation with a group of kanwariyas in Uttar Pradesh after a traffic collision. Police are investigating conflicting FIRs, as both the victim's family and the other party have accused the other of intentional assault.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the potential for communal and social tensions to escalate during religious processions and the complexities of legal accountability in traffic-related violence.
A 24-year-old driver who was assaulted allegedly by a group of kanwariyas died at a hospital in New Delhi on August 4.
The victim, Mohd Azeem, hailed from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. According to an FIR filed on a complaint from his father, Mohd Intezar, Azeem was driving a mini-truck from Moradabad towards Delhi for work on July 31 when it collided with an autorickshaw in Hapur district. The autorickshaw was being driven by 19-year-old Mohd Farman and was carrying several passengers who, according to the complaint, were kanwariyas.
Kanwariyas are devotees of Lord Shiva and carry water from the Ganga to their hometowns across north India during the Hindu month of Shravan.
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