Bareilly, Jan 3 (IANS): A man was lynched and his 20-year-old son was injured by neighbours for allegedly "talking to friends from another community".

Shahrukh Sheikh, an embroidery worker, was attacked and badly beaten up while he was talking to his friends. When Shahrukh's father, Mohammad Sartaj, tried to rescue his son, he too was beaten till he fell unconscious and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Shahrukh said: "I was talking to two friends outside my house when my neighbour Rashid Khan and three others -- Ashu Khan, Fayyam, and Fazil -- started hurling abuses at us and thrashed us for no reason. My friends somehow managed to escape. When my father came to rescue me, he too was mercilessly beaten up with hockey sticks."

He said that his brother works with people from another community and they often visit his house.

"My family never raised any objection to their visit but our neighbour Rashid had threatened us with dire consequences if we did not break ties with them. We want strict action against all the accused," said Daud, Shahrukh's elder brother.

Baradari police station SHO Abhishek Kumar said: "We have registered an FIR under section 304 (culpable homicide) against four persons. We have also recorded the statements of witnesses. No arrest has been made yet. Further action will be taken after the autopsy report comes."