Nawada/Patna: A 40-year-old street vendor has died after being assaulted by a mob in Bihar’s Nawada district, in an attack allegedly triggered after his religious identity was established, police said on Saturday.
Mohammad Athar Hussain was attacked on December 5 near Dumri village and admitted to hospital with severe injuries. He died late on Friday after nearly six days of treatment. Before his death, Hussain described the assault to investigators, recounting that a group of men beat him severely and subjected him to sustained violence.
According to police and family members, Hussain, who sold clothes on the streets of Nawada, was surrounded by a group near Dumri village. His wife, Shabnam Parveen, said the attackers first asked for his address and name. “When he said his name was Athar Hussain, they became violent,” she alleged. She said the mob pulled him off his bicycle, took his money, tied his hands and feet and dragged him into a room where he was beaten.
Police said a first information report has been registered at Roh police station. Four people have been arrested so far, including Sonu Kumar, Ranjan Kumar and Shri Kumar, and searches are under way for the remaining suspects. The postmortem examination was conducted in the presence of a magistrate and a forensic team.
Ranjan Kumar, the officer in charge of Roh police station, said the investigation was continuing and all aspects of the case were being examined. The family has named several people in their complaint.
The killing adds to renewed concerns over mob violence and attacks linked to identity in the state, with rights groups urging swift accountability and protection for vulnerable communities.
