E-Paper
10 convicted in 2024 Bahraich communal violence case
Three acquitted for lack of evidence; sentence to be pronounced on Thursday, victim’s family demands death penalty
A court here has convicted 10 people in connection with the Bahraich communal violence case of October 2024 in which a 28-year-old man, identified as Ram Gopal Mishra, was murdered. The verdict comes nearly 14 months after clashes erupted during the Durga idol immersion in Bahraich’s Mahsi tehsil.
Additional sessions judge (First) Pawan Kumar, who delivered the verdict on Tuesday, found the 10 primary accused, including one Abdul Hameed and his three sons, guilty under relevant sections, including Section 103/2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Three other accused were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence. The court will pronounce the sentence on Thursday. The case was one of the most sensitive in Bahraich in recent years. The victim’s family has demanded the death penalty for the accused.
On October 13, 2024, a dispute arose in Maharajganj Bazaar during the idol immersion procession over the playing of music. As tensions escalated, Ram Gopal, resident of Rehua Mansoor village, reportedly climbed onto a roof and removed green flags hoisted there. Moments later, he was shot dead.
The murder led to widespread violence, arson, and attacks on homes and shops across the Maharajganj and Mahsi region.
A total of 13 FIRs were registered—11 at Hardi police station and two at Ramgaon police station.
In the major crackdown that followed, police identified and arrested 13 accused. The National Security Act was imposed on March 11, 2025 against five accused, including Abdul Hameed, Mohammad Talib alias Sabloo, Mohammad Sarfaraz Ahmed alias Rinku, Shakeel Ahmed alias Bablu and Khurshid.
Later based on evidence, witness statements and field reports, the district administration imposed the NSA on eight more accused on September 30, 2025. These accused included Maroof Ali, Nankau, Mohammad Faheem, Mohammad Afzal alias Kallu, Mohammad Zeeshan alias Raja alias Sahir, Javed, Shoaib Khan and Saif Ali, all resident of Mahsi in the Maharajganj area.
Ahead of the sentencing, the victim’s widow, Roli Mishra, said: “The murderers of my husband should be hanged. Only then will we get justice.”
