A Hindu youth, Sunny Gupta, was shot dead on April 20 in Patna, Bihar by his neighbours. Five accused from the same Muslim family have been arrested, while the main accused Mohammed Chand is still absconding.

As per the FIR lodged by the deceased’s brother Dipak Gupta, on Monday evening police was going through the street of their colony asking people sitting outside their homes to follow lockdown. Sunny asked some of their neighbours sitting outside their homes to go inside.

Mohammed Hasnain, his sons Nasir, Anjum and Mohammed Chand took offence at this and started abusing Sunny. Hearing the commotion, Sunny’s mother Usha Devi, wife Neha, sister Dipika came out and tried to pacify things. Soon, Mohammed Hasnain’s wife Shahjahan and Nasir’s wife Zainab Hashmi too got involved in the argument.

Mohammed Hasnain asked his son’s Chand and Anjum to “end the daily dispute once and for all”. Hearing this threat, Sunny and his family came inside. Suddenly, Chand and Anjum started firing. Sunny who was looking out from his roof got shot in the head and fell down wounded. He died during treatment in a nearby hospital.

6 members of the Hasnain family have been named as accused in the matter. 5 of them were arrested and sent to jail on Wednesday, while police is looking for the absconding prime accused – Mohammed Chand.

Some reports have stated that the dispute over lockdown restrictions started between locals and NCC cadets, and Sunny got hit with a bullet despite not being involved in the argument.

Post the incident, Sunny’s terrorised father Gopal Prasad has decided to sell the house and has hung a ‘for sale’ board. Speaking to Dainik Jagran, he said, “I have been living in this house with my family for 28 years. There are many memories associated with this house. But what’s the point of staying in an area where we are not safe? My son was murdered in a planned manner. Four lathi-wielding home guards have been posted for my family’s protection. If we are again attacked with guns, will they be able to protect us?“

The family’s statements, along with the fact that all accused are from one family, including women members, suggests that the murder was indeed borne out of personal animosity.

Shockingly, even Sunny’s funeral procession was reportedly attacked with stones. Following that, more than 100 police personnel have been deployed in the area.

This is the third murder of a Hindu by Muslim in Bihar during the Covid-19 lockdown. 70-year-old Dalit woman Kala Devi (aka Kaili Devi) was killed in Madhubani district by Suleiman Nadaf, Malil Nadaf and Sharif Nadaf on the intervening night of April 5 and 6, after she lit a diya heeding the PM’s call. Her family has accused the local Muslim panchayat head and other Muslim leaders of suppressing the case in favor of the accused.

Then on 17 April, a 60-strong Muslim mob attacked a Mahadalit colony in Warisaliganj, Navada district. 55-year-old Kishore Raja Ravidas was murdered and 6 other Hindus, including a woman, injured in the attack. Prime accused in that attack, Mohammad Irfan, was still at large as per last reports.

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