A 65-year-old man in India was lynched by three men after he objected to people bursting firecrackers outside his home, according to reports.
The incident took place on Friday in the city of Faridabad, located 28km from the Indian capital, New Delhi, sparking outrage and leading to an active police search for the suspects.
According to a complaint filed by the victim’s son, identified by his first name, Vinod, the confrontation began on Thursday evening when three individuals started setting off fireworks in front of the family’s residence, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
When Mr Vinod’s father objected, the exchange escalated into a heated argument. Mr Vinod managed to de-escalate the situation initially and the men dispersed.
However, around 1am, the three suspects reportedly returned and resumed bursting crackers outside the house. When Mr Vinod’s father confronted them again, he was allegedly assaulted by the group. As Mr Vinod and his wife attempted to intervene, they were also reportedly roughed up by the trio. The elderly man succumbed to his injuries on the scene, according to the police.
Faridabad authorities registered a case based on Mr Vinod’s complaint and are actively searching for the accused. Police are investigating further details surrounding the attack and have assured the family that those responsible will be brought to justice.
In a separate incident, a 20-year-old man was fatally stabbed during a violent confrontation between two groups over firework celebrations in Mumbai’s Antop Hill area early on Friday, police said.
Five individuals, including a woman, were detained in connection with the incident, while a search continues for additional suspects.
The altercation began post-midnight on Thursday, when a group of residents was setting off fireworks in a narrow lane in the Jai Maharashtra Nagar area. Kartik R Mohan Devendra, a passerby on a two-wheeler, reportedly asked the group to relocate to a less crowded spot, an official familiar with the investigation told PTI.
The group responded by allegedly assaulting Mr Devendra, who subsequently left the scene.
According to police, Mr Devendra returned shortly after with several companions, including his wife and brother, all armed with wooden sticks and cricket bats. The renewed confrontation led to a heated exchange between the two groups. Amidst the brawl, one person from the group setting off the fireworks allegedly produced a knife, which accidentally fell to the ground during the scuffle. A man who had accompanied Mr Devendra allegedly picked up the knife and repeatedly stabbing another man who later succumbed to his injuries.
Locals alerted police to the scene, and the victim was rushed to a civic hospital, where he was pronounced dead during treatment. Officers detained five individuals on the spot and filed charges under various sections of Indian law.
In another case, a 42-year-old woman was beaten to death after she protested against fireworks in front of her house in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh on Friday night.
The woman, Kalawati, who had a longstanding dispute with her neighbour Durgesh Kumar, protested after his family set off fireworks in front of her home.
When Kalawati’s family opposed it, a heated altercation broke out, escalating to violence, reported the Times of India. Though Kalawati tried to mediate, she was attacked and sustained severe head injuries, leading to her death on the spot. A police complaint was filed based on the statement of Kalawati’s daughter-in-law, reported the daily.
In another fireworks-related case, one woman lost her life and two people sustained injuries in Gujarat’s Mehsana after a confrontation over fireworks between neighbours, local officials reported.
