Hyderabad: Enraged residents of a housing complex in Kulsumpura beat a 55-year-old tea vendor to death on Thursday evening after he allegedly molested a nine-year-old girl in the society's parking lot.
The deceased, identified as Abdul Aziz, was a father of two who lived with his mother in a flat within the 80-family housing complex after being deserted by his wife two years ago.
According to Kulsumpura Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) V. Tirupathi, as reported by The Times of India, the incident began around 3:00 PM on Thursday when the young girl was sitting on a parked two-wheeler in the society's parking area. Aziz allegedly approached the child under the pretext of buying her chocolates and began touching her inappropriately. A neighbour and girl’s family allegedly noticed the alleged misconduct and confronted Aziz, who quickly fled the scene.
The report further said that residents subsequently reviewed the housing complex's CCTV footage, which confirmed that Aziz had molested the minor.
Aziz returned to the residential complex around 6:30 PM, reportedly drunk. Upon his return, the girl's angry family members and other residents confronted and severely thrashed him. Police received a distress call regarding the assault at approximately 7:00 PM and a team rushed to the location.
Officers moved Aziz to the Kulsumpura police station and summoned a 108 ambulance. Based on a formal complaint filed by the victim's family, a case was registered against Aziz under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
While authorities were preparing to shift him to a medical facility, Aziz complained of severe uneasiness. "We shifted him to Osmania General Hospital. During treatment, he succumbed to internal injuries," ACP Tirupathi stated. He was pronounced dead at approximately 10:30 PM.
In response to the lynching, the deceased's mother filed a counter-complaint maintaining that her son died from the severe injuries inflicted during the mob assault. Consequently, the Kulsumpura police have registered a case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
"We are waiting for the post-mortem report. CCTV footage at the complex and witness statements will be recorded to identify the attackers," ACP Tirupathi added. Further investigation into both cases is under way.
