A 24-year-old man was reportedly killed by three other men because he did not allow them to overtake on a clogged road in Chopal near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
The deceased, identified as Rajat, was on his way home when the three men, all below 20 years of age, began honking to overtake Rajat's car on a busy road.
Rajat could not make way for the men because of heavy traffic on the road that continued for about 10 to 15 minutes. This allegedly infuriated the three men.
When they finally overtook Rajat’s car, they allegedly made him stop and he was then beaten in full public gaze. Fortunately, a home guard volunteer intervened to stop the attack, after which Rajat managed to drive away.
However, the accused then followed him and stopped him once again. Rajat was pulled out of his car and beaten up a second time. The accused then left the injured Rajat on the road.
Rajat's parents, Baldev Raj and Bindi Devi, were in a nearby market and spotted their injured son on the road. They rushed him to a nearby hospital where Rajat succumbed to his injuries.
The police have arrested the three men accused in the incident. They were produced in court on Monday and remanded to police custody.
According to reports, Rajat was from the Scheduled Caste and the three accused were from the Upper Caste. It's unclear whether this was a case of road rage or an incident of caste-based violence.
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