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Hapur (Uttar Pradesh): In a shocking incident, a man was lynched by a mob here on Tuesday on suspicion of being a cattle thief, Times Now reported. The incident happened in Bajhera Khurd, Pilkhuwa, Hapur – around 80 kilometres from the national capital - when Qasim and his friend were warding off a buffalo and a calf which had wandered into the former’s field. The locals suspected the two to be cattle thieves and brutally attacked them.

While 45-year-old Qasim succumbed to his injuries, his unidentified friend is recuperating in a local hospital. Reports said Qasim suffered serious injuries in the attack and was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

A chilling video of the brutal attack has also surfaced, that shows an injured Qasim sitting in the field surrounded by a mob asking for water. The Hapur Police has refused to call it a case of rumour-mongering and cattle-related. A police official said the incident took place over a trivial issue.

“There was a collision between two motorcycles in Hapur after which supporters of one of the motorbike riders beat two people who were on the other motorbike. Victims were admitted to the hospital; one of them died during treatment. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Investigations are on," the official said.

It was reported that the police has lodged a case against 20-25 unidentified suspects. Two suspects have also been arrested in connection with the incident.

The incident came just days after a similar attack took place in Jharkhand. Two Muslim men were beaten to death on suspicion of cattle theft in Godda last Wednesday. Sirabuddin Ansari and Murtaza Ansari were lynched by an angry mob which had accused them of stealing buffaloes from houses in a tribal-dominated area.