Tension prevailed in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh after a 15-year-old Muslim boy was allegedly beaten up and forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans, following which he was set ablaze by 4 people in the state.
The victim has been admitted to Kashi's Kabir Chaura hospital in a critical condition where he is being treated for receiving 60 per cent burns.
The minor said, "I was walking on Dudhari bridge when four men kidnapped me. Two of them tied my hand and third one started pouring kerosene. After which they set me on fire and ran away." He later went on to say that he was being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram".
UP POLICE REJECTS CHARGE
Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli police have denied the allegations that the minor boy was beaten up and set on fire for refusing to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. According to the police, his statements are contradictory.
The Chandauli police alleged that an eyewitness saw him set himself on fire.
The case involves suspicion as the teenager had already received burn injuries when he reached his home, as per the Chandauli police. Speaking to news agency ANI, Chandauli SP Santosh Kumar Singh said that both the contradictory statements of the boy are false and he set himself on fire.
The SP also added, "He's admitted in a hospital with 45 per cent burns. He had given different statements to different people, so it seemed suspicious. It seemed he had been tutored. Police monitored CCTV footage of places he had mentioned and found that he had not been at any of those places."
However, a probe into the matter is underway.
