Daijiworld Media Network - Bareilly

Bareilly, May 4: Police have registered a murder case following the death of a 30-year-old cleric, Tauseef Raza, whose body was found on railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly.

The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by his wife, Tabassum Khatoon, who alleged that her husband was assaulted by co-passengers and thrown off a moving train, making the incident appear like an accident.

Confirming the development, Anil Kumar Verma, Circle Officer of the Government Railway Police (GRP), said an investigation has been initiated.

Raza, a resident of Kishanganj district in Bihar and an imam at a mosque in Siwan, had travelled to Bareilly to attend an Urs. According to the complaint, on April 26, after attending the event, he boarded a train from Bareilly Junction to Siwan.

Around 9.45 pm, he called his wife and informed her that some individuals in his coach were assaulting him without provocation. He asked her to alert acquaintances in Bareilly and inform the police. Khatoon claimed she switched to a video call and allegedly witnessed several people attacking him.

Soon after, his phone went unreachable. The next morning, when she tried calling again, the call was answered by police personnel, who informed her that her husband was in critical condition. Later, the family was told that he had died.

Family members travelled to Bareilly and brought the body back for last rites. Khatoon stated that her husband was the sole breadwinner of the family. She also claimed to have recorded a 30-second audio clip and a nearly three-minute video of the alleged assault.

Police said further investigation is underway to verify the claims and identify those involved.