The Uttar Pradesh police have issued an apology after a photograph of the Hapur lynching victim being dragged by a crowd in the presence of three policemen went viral on social media. The policemen seen in the picture taken in Bachleda village in Hapur district’s Pilkhuwa area on Monday have been transferred to police lines, an official said. Police said Qasim (45) was lynched following a minor tiff with a man on a motorcycle, denying reports that a mob attacked him and another man over rumours of cow slaughter.

In Delhi, the elder brother of the other victim alleged that the UP police had not recorded the FIR in the manner wanted by his family. Mehruddin, whose brother Samayuddin survived the attack with serious injuries, today said his family was living in an “atmosphere of fear”. According to UP police, cattle trader Qasim and Samayuddin were beaten up after the motorcyclist involved in the tiff called his friends. But, in a tweet last night, the UP police apologised over the manner in which Qasim was being handled after he was badly injured in the attack.

“This picture seems to have been taken when the police had reached the spot to shift the injured to the police vehicle and because of the non-availability of an ambulance at that moment, the victim has unfortunately carried this way,” it said. “Admittedly, the policemen should have been more sensitive in their conduct. The humane concerns got ignored in the urgency of saving a life and maintaining law and order. As is clear from the picture the victim was rushed to the hospital by policemen in a UP100 PRV (police van),” it added. Police registered a murder case and arrested two people after the attack.

“There are some rumours of a cow slaughter angle but they have not been found to be true in the investigations so far,” Superintendent of Police Sankalp had then said. Mehruddin hinted at foul play in the investigation. He told reporters at the Press Club of India in Delhi that when family members met Samayuddin in hospital, they spotted an ink-mark on his thumb. “The FIR has not been registered as we wished,” he said.

He added the family members were scared and cannot talk much as they feared what may happen next. But the police denied the suggestion that the family wasn’t able to record its statement. “The police are open to record the statement of Mehruddin. The police have already recorded the statement of Samayuddin’s another brother Yasin, on whose complaint an FIR has been registered,” SP Sankalp said. /

“As the investigation is currently underway, Mehruddin can record his statement,” he told PTI. Mehruddin said Samayuddin had gone to the fields to collect fodder when he saw some people were thrashing Qasim. “He was also attacked when he intervened in the matter,” he added.

“Later, both Qasim and Samayuddin were taken to a nearby place. We approached police, but we were initially not informed about what had happened to our brother. After five and half hours, we were told that Samayuddin was admitted to the hospital,” he said.

He said Samayuddin has received injuries over his entire body. Mehruddin said the family members demanded justice and security from the police. The police assured them of this but asked them to sign a document. His brother Yasin then signed it.