UP: Farmer beaten to death on Holi after asking biker to slow down; 6 arrested
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A 35-year-old farmer who set out on a regular inspection of his fields while most locals were revelling in Holi celebrations, ended up getting allegedly lynched just because he asked a biker to slow down.
Gyanendra Chaudhary (35), a resident of the Maniram area here, had gone to inspect his fields near the Rohin river on Wednesday afternoon when a youth from Karahiya village allegedly rode past him near a Shiv temple at high speed on a motorcycle, kicking up a cloud of dust, police said.
An argument ensued after Chaudhary asked the youth to slow down. In response, the biker summoned his associates, after which several men arrived at the spot armed with sticks and allegedly assaulted the farmer, police added.
Soon, villagers gathered at the scene and raised an alarm, believing Chaudhary to be dead from the assault. They said they saw the attackers flee after a hue and cry was raised.
Family members rushed the injured man to a private hospital in the Gorakhnath area, from where doctors referred him to BRD Medical College due to his critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at around 7 pm on the same day, police said.
A team from the Chiluatal police station reached the spot after receiving information and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Station House Officer Suraj Singh said further legal proceedings in the case are underway.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and two sticks and two motorcycles allegedly used in the crime have been recovered, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Sandeep Nishad, Sheshnath Nishad, Gautam Nishad, Ramesh Nishad, Vicky Rajbhar and Rajan Nishad, all residents of Karahiya village in the district.
Chaudhary, the youngest among three brothers, is survived by his wife Anjali and their son, Raj, who is a high school student.
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Nashik court sends ‘godman’ Kharat to 3-day police custody in 7th sexual exploitation case
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik has remanded self-styled astrologer-cum-godman Ashok Kharat to police custody till April 29 in the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer arrested on March 18, is accused of sexually exploiting several women and indulging in large-scale financial fraud by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic.
In the seventh case, Kharat sexually exploited a married woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems.
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The accused allegedly gave the woman something to drink, sexually assaulted her while her husband sat outside his office and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against Kharat in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts, on Sunday filed a request application in the court demanding his custody in the seventh case.
Kharat was produced in court for a virtual hearing in the seventh case on Monday.
The prosecution demanded six-day police custody for Kharat, citing the discovery of a locker in Kharat's house during the investigation, from which the police recovered two blank cheques and other documents, all of which have to be probed.
The court agreed to the prosecution's demand and remanded Kharat to three-day police custody till April 29 in the case.
Kharat has been at the centre of a political firestorm, as he was well-connected, and photographs of him with political leaders and other important members of society have been surfacing in mainstream and social media since his arrest.
