Moradabad/Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: A 24-year-old mini-truck driver, identified as Mohd Azeem of Moradabad, died in New Delhi on August 4 after being admitted in a critical condition following a road collision and an alleged assault in Hapur district on July 31, The Hindu reported.
Sequence of events and medical transfers
According to an FIR lodged by Azeem’s father, Mohd Intezar, Azeem was driving a mini-truck from Moradabad to Delhi for work when it collided with an autorickshaw in Garhmukhteshwar area of Hapur. The autorickshaw was being driven by Mohd Farman, 19, and was carrying several passengers described in the complaint as kanwariyas — devotees who carry Ganga water during the month of Shravan.
The family complaint states that following the collision the autorickshaw driver and several passengers—named as Manish, Ankit, Lokesh and Shivam, along with two others—assaulted Azeem. He sustained serious injuries and was first taken to a nursing home in Garhmukhteshwar, then referred to a higher centre. Azeem was shifted to SS Hospital in Meerut where his condition remained critical and he slipped into a coma. He was later taken to a hospital in New Delhi where he died on August 4, the family told The Hindu.
Conflicting FIR and police actions
Hapur police records show a second FIR, filed on August 3, on the complaint of Farman’s father. That FIR alleges that Azeem tried to kill Farman by running him over “not once but twice,” and driving over his abdomen and chest before fleeing the scene. With Azeem’s subsequent death, Garhmukhteshwar police said they were initiating the process to file a closure report in the FIR registered against him, the station house officer being quoted in the police record.
“His father said Azeem ran down Farman, not once but twice. He then drove over Farman’s abdomen and chest, before fleeing the scene. But now as Azeem is dead, we are initiating the process of filing a closure report in the the FIR against him,” Garhmukteshwar Station House Officer Devendra Singh said, according to The Hindu.
Family circumstances and local impact
The deceased was the sole breadwinner in a family of five, the father told The Hindu, and is survived by his wife, a one-year-old son and elderly parents. The family account emphasises the economic and social consequences of the death for relatives who relied on Azeem’s earnings.
Police said Farman, the autorickshaw driver, also sustained serious injuries and remained in critical condition after the incident. No formal charge-sheet or court filing connected to either FIR has been reported publicly as of the latest account recorded by The Hindu.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 31 | Collision between mini-truck driven by Azeem and autorickshaw driven by Farman in Garhmukhteshwar, Hapur district. |
| Early August (date not specified) | Azeem taken to local nursing home, then referred to SS Hospital, Meerut; slipped into coma. |
| August 3 | FIR lodged by Farman’s father alleging Azeem attempted to run down the autorickshaw driver. |
| August 4 | Azeem died in a New Delhi hospital. |
| August 10–11 | Family statements and police comments about closure report published by The Hindu. |
Investigative and legal dimensions
The existence of two FIRs with divergent narratives—one alleging assault by a group of passengers after the crash, the other accusing the deceased of deliberately injuring the autorickshaw driver—places the case in a complex evidentiary position. Police action, including whether to proceed with the FIR against Azeem or file closure papers following his death, will depend on medical records, witness statements, any forensic evidence from the scene, and CCTV or other corroborative material if available.
- Key evidentiary needs: medical records of both injured parties and forensic reports from the vehicle and scene.
- Witness testimony: statements from passengers, the autorickshaw driver, and independent bystanders if present.
- Procedural question: whether police will treat the matter as a case of assault leading to death, culpable homicide, or a traffic-related offence with complicating allegations.
Wider implications
Incidents involving devotees such as kanwariyas are often sensitive in Uttar Pradesh, where communal tensions can escalate quickly. The conflicting FIRs and the death of a young breadwinner highlight the need for a transparent, prompt police investigation to establish facts and mitigate the risk of communal or political agitation. Local residents and civil-society groups frequently demand swift and impartial probes in such cases to maintain public confidence in law enforcement.
As of the latest published account in The Hindu, police had not released a comprehensive public update on the status of both FIRs or on any arrests connected to the assault allegation. Further developments will depend on ongoing enquiries by Hapur investigators and any statements issued by district authorities.
