The Pune police said Mohsin Shaikh from Solapur was beaten to death when he was on his way home after evening prayers. The incident was a fallout of communal tensions in the city after morphed images of Shivaji and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray were posted on Facebook.
According to a senior police official, a group of youths from the Hindu Rashtra Sena took to the streets after the social media posts, targeting Muslim settlements. “Motorcycles found at the place where Mohsin was beaten up led to the suspects,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil said. Mobs from both sides had gathered, the police said.
Riyaz, who was with Mohsin during the attack, told The Hindu : “I was saved because I don’t have a beard and wasn’t wearing a skullcap. Mohsin was targeted because his appearance revealed him to be a Muslim.”
Riyaz said that Mohsin was beaten as he ran to seek help. He was admitted to a private hospital, where he died of injuries on Tuesday.
