Cab driver beaten to death after returning from Ramlila
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: A 28-year-old cab driver, identified as Sanjay Saxena, was allegedly assaulted and killed by a group of men on Wednesday night in the Shanti Vihar area, police said on Thursday. Authorities suspect the attack was the culmination of an old enmity dating back several months, and one person has been arrested.
Police and family members said Saxena, who normally lived and worked in Noida, had come to Bareilly two days earlier to visit his sister, Meena. He was returning from watching a Ramlila with a friend, named as Monu, when the group allegedly ambushed them near the Madinath area under the Subhash Nagar police station limits.
- Victim: Sanjay Saxena, 28, cab driver residing in Noida.
- Alleged accused: Akshay (arrested) and others named in the FIR, according to police and family.
- Location: Shanti Vihar area, under Subhash Nagar police station; attack occurred after Ramlila in Madinath area.
- Possible motive: Old rivalry originating from a dispute at a wedding about five months ago, family alleged.
Family members alleged that Saxena had a dispute with Akshay and his associates at a wedding in the locality around five months ago. They claimed that, following the initial altercation, the accused had even opened fire at a house. Although the family said the matter appeared to have been settled at the time, they alleged the accused continued to harbour a grudge.
“Saxena and his friend were returning after the Ramlila when they were attacked. Monu escaped but Sanjay sustained severe injuries and later died in hospital,” family members said, according to the report.
According to relatives, the assailants allegedly beat Saxena with sticks and struck him with the butt of a country-made pistol. He was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Circle Officer (First) Ashutosh Shivam confirmed that a case has been registered in connection with the incident. One man, identified as Akshay, has been arrested and taken into custody for questioning, the officer said. Police said they were probing the attack and attempting to determine the full sequence of events and the identities of all those involved.
| Timeline | Details |
|---|---|
| Approximately five months earlier | Dispute at a wedding between Saxena and Akshay’s group, family alleged |
| Two days before attack | Saxena arrived in Bareilly from Noida to visit his sister |
| Wednesday night | Saxena and friend attended Ramlila; returned home and were allegedly set upon |
| Following the assault | Saxena taken to hospital and declared dead; one accused arrested |
Local residents and family expressed shock at the violence in the area. The killing has raised concerns about lingering personal rivalries escalating into lethal attacks and has put a spotlight on law-and-order responses in parts of the city.
Police said they are examining witness statements, reviewing any available CCTV footage and tracing the movements of the accused in the period leading up to the attack. Further arrests or charges could follow as the probe progresses, officers added.
The case has been registered at the Subhash Nagar police station; details in the FIR name Akshay and other individuals, and the investigation remains active, police said. No further official statements on motive or the number of accused in custody were available at the time of reporting.
The incident adds to a string of violent personal-dispute cases in the region in recent months, prompting calls from citizens for improved policing and faster resolution of long-standing neighbourhood conflicts before they spiral into fatal assaults.
