DEORIA: A shocking twist has intensified the murder case of 25-year-old Hindu youth Manish Singh Sainthwar alias Monu Singh in Bhluani, Deoria, with his family alleging that he was deliberately lured out of his home and trapped in a pre-planned attack before being brutally stabbed to death.
According to the family, Monu received a phone call from a young man known to him on the night of September 10 and was told that there was urgent work. He subsequently left his house. When he failed to return, his family began searching for him.
The family alleges that around the same time, four young men arrived at their house on two motorcycles, abused the family members and allegedly threatened to kill the entire family before leaving.
Shortly afterwards, relatives reportedly found Monu lying in a pool of blood in a toilet near an under-construction house in the vicinity of Pashupatinath Gond’s residence. He was rushed to the Medical College in Deoria, where doctors declared him dead.
The killing has raised serious questions because of an alleged earlier confrontation involving Monu and the accused.
According to a complaint attributed to his family, some youths had allegedly chased Monu with a knife near the police station several days before the murder. The family says that on September 1, Monu approached the police and sought action over the incident, but alleges that his complaint was not treated with the seriousness it deserved.
The family now claims that the subsequent murder demonstrates the seriousness of the earlier threat. The allegation of police inaction remains to be established through the investigation, including verification of the September 1 complaint and the steps taken by the police after it was filed.
The case has also brought allegations surrounding a group called “Team 149” to the forefront.
According to allegations contained in the complaint, some youths had formed the group on Instagram and would allegedly assemble when disputes occurred, intimidate people and issue threats. China Ansari, identified by the complainant as the alleged operator of the group, has been named as the main accused in Monu’s murder.
The allegations have fuelled fear and anger among sections of the local community, with the complainant claiming that the activities attributed to the group had created an atmosphere of intimidation. The claims regarding the group, its activities and the motive for Monu’s killing will have to be established by investigators.
The killing has particularly angered Monu’s family and supporters, who view the incident as a brutal attack on a young Hindu man allegedly carried out after a prior threat.
The family alleges that Monu was not killed in a spontaneous confrontation but was called away from his home and subsequently attacked by multiple assailants. The reported arrival of the accused at the family’s house after the attack, along with alleged threats against relatives, has added to the sense of fear surrounding the case.
Authorities will now have to establish whether the murder was indeed planned, identify all those involved and determine the precise motive behind the attack. A panel of two doctors conducted Monu’s postmortem, which was reportedly videotaped.
The postmortem house remained crowded with relatives and supporters as the family awaited the body and demanded justice. Former BJP district president Bhupendra Singh, BJP leader S.N. Singh and others reportedly visited the family to express their condolences.
A police force has been deployed in Bhluani as a precautionary measure following the killing, amid tension and anger in the area.
Police are conducting raids to locate and arrest those accused in the case, while legal proceedings are underway. The police have indicated that the preliminary motive appears to be a personal dispute, a version that differs from the broader allegations being raised by the family and supporters.
CO Barhaj Ranjana Sachan said the murder occurred following a personal dispute and confirmed that Monu was stabbed outside the town before his brother took him to the Deoria Medical College, where doctors declared him dead.
