Hindu rioters burn 3 Muslims to death in India
MUZZAFARPUR: At least three persons were burnt alive after a large number of Hindu rioters set dozens of thatched huts ablaze in a densely populated Muslim neighbourhood near Indian city of Muzzafarpur Sunday, Samaa reported.
According to Indian media reports, the deadly riots broke out after a kidnapped youth belonging to Hindu fishermen community was found dead in Saraiya village, nearly 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of Patna, the capital of Bihar state.
The youth, Bhartendu Kumar, 19, who had been missing for a couple of days, was allegedly in love with a Muslim girl.
“This afternoon, police said, Kumar’s body was found in a paddy field owned by one Shafaquat Ali, who had been accused of kidnapping him.
Muzaffarpur top cop is himself leading the investigation of the case.
“Senior officials, including IG (Muzaffarpur) Parasnath, DIG Ajay Mishra, SP Ranjit Mishra and DM Anupam Kumar were camping at the village while the police headquarters has rushed reinforcement from the state capital,” an Indian media report quoted officials as saying.
Reportedly, the family members of both the boy and the girl clashed after Bhartendu's body was recovered.
Bhartendu's family suspects Shafaquat is responsible for the Hindu youth's murder.
Shortly after news of Bhartendu's murder reached his family and neighbours, they stormed the Muslim neighborhood.
Muslim men, who were trapped inside the huts, burnt to death helplessly.
Though, the main accused, Shafaquat Ali, has been arrested but the tension in the Bihar village is far from over.
Besides Shafaquat, police have also arrested eight Hindu villagers for arson.
Hindus comprise more than 80 percent and Muslims nearly 13 percent of India’s 1.2 billion people. They largely live together peacefully in various parts of the country, but there are occasional incidents of violence.--SAMAA/Agencies
Hindu rioters burn 3 Muslims to death in India
Muslims burned to death in India attack
At least three Muslim civilians have been burned to death after Hindu assailants set fire to dozens of homes of a Muslim community in an apparent retaliatory attack in eastern India, officials have said.
Atul Prasad, a Bihar state administrator, says the violence erupted on Sunday after the body of a young Hindu boy was found in Sarayian village more than a week after he went missing.
Prasad said the Hindu fishermen community blamed the Muslim community for the boy's death as he was friendly with a Muslim girl from the village, 105 kilometres north of Patna, the capital of Bihar state.
He says police have arrested eight Hindu villagers for setting the huts ablaze in the poor Muslim community.
Prasad added that the situation was now under control in the village.
Hindus comprise more than 80 percent and Muslims nearly 13 percent of India's 1.2 billion people. They largely live together peacefully in various parts of the country, but there are occasional incidents of sectarian violence.
Muslims burned to death in India attack - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English
