In a horrifying incident in India’s capital, New Delhi, a young mentally-challenged Muslim man, Isar Mohammad, aged 26, was brutally beaten to death by a group of Hindu extremists. The attack occurred on Tuesday and was prompted by allegations of him “stealing food from a temple” during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.
Isar Mohammad was subjected to torture, assault, and was tied to a pole as he was accused of stealing prasad (food offerings) and INR20 from a collection dedicated to Hindu gods at a temporary installation during the religious festival.
A distressing video of the incident has been circulating on the internet, showing five men assaulting Isar while he pleads for them to stop. Due to his mental impairment, Mohammad was unable to communicate with the temple’s administrators, as confirmed by the police.
Mohammad’s family has reported that he was tortured for hours and was left on the street to die. He was discovered with injuries all over his body and died shortly after being brought home by a neighbor.
His sister, Umrana Mohammad, expressed her grief, saying, “He was cold like a dead body when he was brought back to our house. Seeing him like that, I too died with him.”
Following this brutal incident, seven individuals have been detained on murder charges in connection with the attack. However, a police official, speaking anonymously, stated that there was no religious motivation behind the crime.
According to the official, “The accused claimed that around 5 a.m., they caught Isar lurking around the area and thought that he was a thief. They asked him questions but he was unable to reply properly since he was mentally challenged. They then tied him to an electric pole and thrashed him.”
A post-mortem report revealed that Isar Mohammad suffered blunt-force injuries to his head, back, arms, and legs, with “shock and haemorrhage” determined as the cause of death.
