‘Police saved 2 lives when techie Mohammad Azam was beaten to death by mob’

Bidar, Jul 20: Two more persons would have succumbed to the mob fury at Murki over child lifting rumours, but for the swift action of the police. Mohammed Azam (28), a software engineer from Hyderabad was killed in an accident triggered by the rumours on July 13.

Mohammed Afroz, a resident of Handikera in Kamalangar taluk, had invited his three friends - Salam (who works as a constable in Qatar), Azam and Mohammed Salman for a dinner at his house on July 13. Afroz recalled the turn of events on the fateful day.

“The three had come from Hyderabad in a rented car. We all went to see a check dam since the food was yet to be prepared. On the way, Salam threw a chocolate he had brought from Qatar towads children who were returning home from school. As we stopped our vehicle near the checkdam, some people mistook us for child lifters and attempted to deflate the tyres. As we objected, they attacked us,” Afroz said.

“As large number of people gathered there and the situation took a serious turn, the three left the spot in their car, leaving me there. The villagers attempted to intercept the vehicle by placing a log on the road. As Salam drove the vehicle in shock, it fell down from the bridge. A villager tied the hands of Azam and dragged him from the vehicle. Some people threw stones on the car. Though police tried to control the mob, people clubbed Azam to death,” he said.

Afroz added that they too would have been murdered if the police were not at the spot.

A police officer said that their appeal to villagers not to take law into their hands was not heeded.

“People threw stones on us. But we were able to save the lives of two under such critical situation. It appeared there was no value for humanity,” the officer said.

The Kamalanagar police collected evidence at the spot of the incident on Thursday.