Riyaz blames his father’s death on a personal land dispute with his neighbour Mohammad Amu, and Amu’s brother.

According to family members, Amu took advantage of the tenuous relations between communities and the bias against Muslims to try and settle scores while shifting the blame elsewhere.

55-year-old Hasmad Ali’s body was found in Keirao Makating village, around 5 km from his house, in Manipur’s Imphal East district early on 2nd November.

Ali was allegedly beaten to death after he was seen with a calf that was missing from the shed of one of the villagers.