Two Hindu Fringe Group Members Charged With Teen's Murder in Patna During Anti-CAA Protests

Patna: Two men affiliated with fringe Hindu outfits are among six people arrested in Patna for the murder of a teenager who was found dead 10 days after participating in anti-citizenship law protests on December 21.

The deceased, 18-year-old Amir Hanzla, worked at a bag stitching unit and was last seen with a tricolor in his hand at the protest called by the RJD, the Indian Express reported.

Nagesh Samrat (23) of the Hindu Putra Sangathan and Vikas Kumar (21) of the Hindu Samaj Sangathan have been charged in Amir’s murder case. The police are also probing the duo’s role in inciting violence against the protesters through Facebook videos.

According to police, Amir had tried to leave the protest site after police used force to disperse a violent mob, but was held by a group of boys in the Sangat Gali area, adding that he was killed using bricks and other blunt objects. “There were head injuries and marks of two cuts on the body,” police said.

Kumar and Samrat, according to police, were the main instigators behind the communal tension during the protest on December 21. In one of the videos, Kumar is seen accusing the police of torturing Hindus and calling for “all Hindu sons” to “come to Phulwari Sharif”. In another video, Samrat declares himself as the “son of a Hindu” and that he has “reached Phulwari”.

Hindu Putra Sangathan is among 19 organisations red-flagged by the Bihar Police Special Branch and had sought to obtain details of offices and office-bearers in an official communication last May.

Others arrested in the murder case are Deepak Mahto, Chhotu Mahto, Sanoj Mahto alias Dhelwa, and Rais Paswan.

According to Amir’s family, he had left for work on his bicycle on December 21, but the unit was closed due to the strike called by the RJD. He then joined the protest and was seen carrying the national flag. At 11:45 am, he last talked to his family after which his phone was switched off near the Phulwari Sharif block office. From here, his highly decomposed body was recovered, according to police.