UP cops: BTech student held for attacking bus conductor, said he insulted Muslims

Vishwakarma, who suffered injuries on his neck and hands, is reported to be in a stable condition.

A resident of Hajiganj area of Prayagraj, Hashmi, a first year Computer Science student, would regularly take the bus to his college, United Engineering College in Yamunanagar area, police said.

According to police, on Friday morning, when Vishwakarma reached Hashmi’s seat to collect the fare, the latter allegedly took out a cleaver from his bag and suddenly attacked him. As the driver stopped the vehicle, Hashmi allegedly ran out of the bus and fled.

Police said preliminary investigations revealed that there was an argument between another bus conductor named Sajid and an elderly person over the ticket fare three days ago. On Thursday, Vishwakarma had allegedly made a comment about Muslims and Sajid, a police officer said.

“Hearing Vishwakarma’s remark, Hashmi’s friend, who was with him in the bus, laughed. During interrogation, Hashmi said he thought Vishwakarma was referring to him while making the comment. Irked over this, he decided to teach him a lesson and made a plan to attack him. The accused felt the bus conductor had insulted him in front of his friends,” Prayagraj Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajeet Singh Chauhan said.

After he fled from the bus, while the police were still searching for him, Hashmi purportedly posted a video clip on social media, in which he reportedly confessed to attacking the bus conductor: “…Woh Musalmaano ko gaali de raha tha… maine us… ko mara hai. Insha Allah woh bachega nahi, Insha Allah woh marega (He was abusing Muslims… I attacked him. By the grace of Allah, he will not survive, he will die).”

In the purported video, he is seen brandishing the cleaver and raising Islamic slogans. “…Rasool Allah hum jiyenge aur marengey aap key liye… Koi yeh na samjhey hukumat Modi ki hai aur Yogi ki hai… (O Prophet, we live and die for you… nobody should think that it is a Modi and Yogi government),” he purportedly says.

Yamunanagar (Prayagraj) Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinav Tyagi said a team has been formed to interrogate Hashmi and verify his video – when it was shot and who made it public.

Hashmi was arrested from Prayagraj’s Industrial Area on Friday evening. During questioning, he reportedly claimed that he had hidden the cleaver in Chandi village. When he was taken to the village to recover the weapon, he took out a pistol which he had hidden in the bushes and opened fire, said police.

“Police fired back, and the accused was injured,” Yamunanagar (Prayagraj) Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinav Tyagi said.

Hashmi has been charged with attempt to murder. His father, Mohammed Yunus, runs a poultry farm in Prayagraj, police said. Police said they visited his college too. “His teachers said he is good in studies,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, Vishwakarma’s father, Ram Shiromani, said: “I spoke with my son… his condition is stable. He denied having any dispute with the accused.”