A 21-year-old cattle smuggler, who is accused of brutally killing a NEET aspirant, died during treatment at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur.
The accused, identified as Azhar alias Ajab Hussain, a resident of the Gopalganj district in Bihar, succumbed to his injuries at 10:37 am on Friday in the hospital’s ICU.
The incident dates back to the night of September 15, when a group of cattle smugglers allegedly entered a village in Gorakhpur. A confrontation broke out between the villagers and the smugglers. During the ensuing clashes, the gang reportedly dragged Deepak Gupta, a student preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam, into their vehicle and beat him to death.
During an altercation, villagers managed to catch hold of Azhar and assaulted him severely, leaving him critically injured. In the chaos, a superintendent of police (SP) and a sub-inspector too were injured in their bid to rescue him. The situation escalated further as enraged villagers blocked roads, staged protests, and pelted stones at police personnel.
In connection with the case, the police had, earlier on Wednesday, arrested three more suspects, identified as Chhotu, Raju, and Rahim, during an operation in Kushinagar. One of the suspects, Rahim, sustained injuries during the operation and is currently under medical supervision.
The case continues to be under investigation, and authorities have assured that all aspects of the incident are being thoroughly examined.