A sessions court in Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, has acquitted all 17 men accused of murdering a father and son during communal violence in Biranpur village in 2023. The victims, Rahim Umad Mohamed and his son Idul Mohamed, were beaten to death with stones and sticks by a mob while grazing cattle. The verdict comes years after the incident that occurred ahead of state assembly elections.
All 17 men arrested for rioting and murdering a father-son duo from a minority community during communal violence in 2023 in Biranpur village in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district were acquitted by a Sessions court in Bemetara on Tuesday. Rahim Umad Mohamed, 55, and his son Idul Mohamed, 35, were beaten to death with stones and sticks by a mob in Chechanmeta near Biranpur village on April 10, 2023, while grazing cattle. The bodies were discovered the next morning.
The incident occurred months before the state’s assembly elections. On April 8, 2023, communal violence erupted from a petty fight between two minors, fueled by rumors of Hindus being beaten in a minority-dominated area, leading to a clash in which 23-year-old Bhuneshwar Sahu was killed. The villagers held a meeting shortly after. On April 9, over 700 personnel were deployed in Biranpur to prevent escalation. On April 10, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad announced a bandh, and a crowd led by then BJP state president and current Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao attempted to enter the village.
That same day, a house near Biranpur belonging to Rahim’s daughter and son-in-law was burnt. Rahim and his son had left home to graze cattle against police advice. Following the violence, six FIRs were registered, including a murder case, and 17 men were arrested. Later that year, the BJP won the assembly elections and handed over Sahu’s murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Sahu’s father, Ishwar Sahu, was given a BJP ticket and won the MLA election from the Saja constituency.
A detailed court order is yet to be uploaded.