Trader dies after assault in Gonda; SP, Nishad Party demand action

A 45-year-old trader died at a Lucknow hospital on Thursday after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda following a dispute over social-media posts, officials said.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, they added.

The incident has triggered a political controversy, with leaders of BJP-ally Nishad Party and the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) joining hands in protest over the killing.

According to police, Vinod Kumar Sahani, a resident of Reksadiya village under the Paraspur police station, ran a utensils shop at the Shahpur market. He was returning home on his motorcycle after closing his shop on Wednesday evening when 10 men, travelling on four motorcycles, intercepted him near Lallan Yadav's shop and allegedly attacked him.

Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Radheshyam Rai said the attackers allegedly assaulted Sahani with various weapons, including a spear, leaving him seriously injured on the road. The assailants fled, believing him to be dead, police said.

Sahani was initially taken to a community health centre and later, referred to the medical college in Gonda. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Lucknow, where he died during treatment on Thursday.

Police said Sahani had identified three of the attackers.

A case was registered on the basis of Sahani's complaint against 10 named accused, including Shubham Singh alias Golu, Subhash Singh and Akash Singh, under provisions relating to attempt to murder. Following Sahani's death, the murder charge was added to the FIR, Rai said.

"A preliminary investigation has revealed a dispute between the victim and the accused over posts made on social media," the officer said.

Police have arrested Shubham Singh alias Golu and Subhash Singh, while teams have been deployed to arrest the remaining accused.

The killing led to a protest at the mortuary of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, where Uttar Pradesh minister and Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad staged a sit-in, along with SP backward classes cell state president Rajpal Kashyap.

Nishad, who reached the mortuary after learning about the death, met the victim's family members and assured them of all possible help.

He demanded the dismissal of the Paraspur station house officer, the Shahpur outpost in-charge and other police personnel concerned.

"If action is not taken, we will stage a protest outside the superintendent of police's residence and office in Gonda on September 11," Nishad told reporters. He also demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused and strict action against them.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a high-level impartial probe into Sahani's killing.

In a post on X, Yadav said the victim was a utensils trader associated with the SP and alleged that Uttar Pradesh has reached "the extreme of crime and anarchy" under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also accused the Yogi Adityanath government of weakening and corrupting the police force by allegedly involving it in false cases and encounters.