Agra: An angry mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra set two houses of a Muslim man on fire over having a relationship with a Hindu woman. The houses belonged to the family of man who went untraceable along with a 22-year-old woman in an interfaith relationship.
Police said members of a fringe group “Dharam Jagran Samanvay Sangh” set the house belonging to Sajid on fire. Sajid is a gym owner in Agra’s Runakta locality. An adjoining house, belonging to the family, was also set on fire.
The mob has demanded arrest of the man. The mob has accused him of kidnapping the woman. Shops in the local market were also made to shut on Friday over the mob’s demand.
There were no reports of any injuries in the attack on the gym owner’s home.
For neglecting the matter, the police post in-charge was suspended. A probe has been ordered against the Sikandra station house officer. “If found guilty, action will be taken against him as well,” Agra’s Senior Superintendent of Police Sudheer Kumar Singh told reporters.
The woman was missing since Monday. She was traced by the police two days later. Still Sajid’s whereabouts are still not known. Her family members had filed a missing person’s report, prompting a police search for the couple.
In a video surfaced on social media, the woman said she is an adult and had gone willingly with the man.
“Both are adults,” Senior Superintendent of Police Sudheer Singh confirmed to reporters. He said, “Police will bring the woman to court. This couldn’t be done so far because of the festival holidays this week.”
An FIR is registered against the group that set the houses on fire and members of the group will be arrested soon.
The woman’s family has also filed a police complaint against the gym owner.
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