Was told to attack as they were eating beef, says Haryana lynching accused

Ballabgarh: The suspect apprehended on Friday for lynching of a 17-year old boy by a mob inside a train compartment in Haryana admitted that he was instigated by his friends to attack the Muslim boys since they consumed beef.

"My friends said this," the accused told NDTV when asked by reporters if he attacked the Muslim boys because they ate beef. Identifying himself as Ramesh, he also admitted to being drunk.

The accused was also sent to a three-day police remand on Saturday.

A youth was stabbed to death and his two brothers were injured by a group of people who also allegedly passed slurs against them after a dispute over a train seat near Ballabhgarh in Haryana, following which one person has been arrested.

"One person has been arrested in this connection," Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Faridabad Government Railway Police (GRP), Mohinder Singh had said.

He refused to divulge details of the person arrested saying "first the GRP will present him in court tomorrow."

The killed has been identified as Junaid (17) while his brothers Hasim (21) and Sakir (23) were injured, Singh said.

Singh said the incident happened Friday night onboard the Delhi-Mathura passenger train between Ballabgarh and Mathura stations.

"An altercation took place between the three brothers and some 10 passengers over a seat. The passengers allegedly passed some remarks on the three brothers, who are Muslims, and residents of Khandawali village in Faridabad," he said.

He added, a passenger used a knife to stab one of the brothers to death.

"The passengers thrashed the three brothers badly and attacked them with a knife," he said.