7-year-old Muslim boy found murdered in Azamgarh; Neighbour arrested
Azamgarh boy’s murder a horrific act of hatred, symptom of a diseased society: Pawan Khera
Azamgarh: The brutal killing of a seven-year-old Muslim boy in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district has triggered shockwaves across the state, with police arresting two men and political leaders condemning the crime as an outcome of deepening hatred.
The boy, identified as Shahzeb, went missing on Wednesday evening after returning from tuition classes. His body was found the next morning stuffed inside a sack and hanging from a gate in the Sidhari locality. According to his relatives, neighbour Shailendra Kumar Nigam, also known as Mantu, was the last person seen with Shahzeb and allegedly murdered him as part of a ritual sacrifice to a deity.
Police registered a kidnapping case late Wednesday night and subsequently arrested Nigam along with another man, Raja Nigam, in a joint operation. Officials claimed both sustained injuries while attempting to escape during an encounter. Weapons, including pistols and cartridges, were seized. Authorities stated that the motive is still under investigation and that action will follow once the postmortem report is received.
The family described Shahzeb, the eldest of three siblings, as a bright and intelligent child, and expressed anguish over the betrayal by a neighbour with whom they had previously maintained cordial relations.
The killing has provoked widespread condemnation. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera, Chairman of the AICC Media and Publicity Department, said the incident reflected the “diseased, rotten state of society” where a neighbour could murder a child in the name of teaching a lesson to ‘Mullahs.’ He emphasised that this was not a momentary lapse of humanity but “terror, plain and deliberate — rehearsed in cruelty, protected by silence, legitimised by impunity.”
Religious leaders, including the Rashtriya Ulama Council, visited the grieving family and demanded stringent punishment.
What a diseased, rotten society we have been reduced to that a hindu neighbour can murder a seven-year-old muslim boy, stuff his dead body into a gunny bag and hang him from a gate just so he could teach a lesson to the ‘Mullahs.’
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) September 26, 2025
Repeat this in your heads - 7 year old child.… https://t.co/scoWqoa4oD
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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