In a heart-wrenching development, Subhansaab Shahpur, the father of Sameer Shahpur who was brutally lynched by members of the right-wing extremist groups passed away on on Tuesday, June 20. The cause of his death was attributed to cancer, an ailment he had been battling for the past six months.
Sameer Shahpur, a 19-year-old, and his friend Shamsheer Khan Pathan, 22, fell victim to a vicious attack by members affiliated with the Bajrang Dal. The incident took place on January 17, 2022, in Karnataka’s Nargund taluk, located in the Gadag district. Sameer tragically lost his life, succumbing to the injuries sustained during the assault, while Shamsheer Khan Pathan miraculously survived, although grievously injured.
The assault had occurred shortly after certain local Bajrang Dal leaders delivered anti-Muslim hate speeches, inciting a crowd gathered at the Nargund police station to protest against cases filed against Hindutva supporters involved in communal incidents.
The passing of Subhansaab Shahpur comes merely days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah‘s announcement of compensation and job opportunities for the families of the victims affected by communal violence. Sameer’s family was among those who received a compensation check amounting to ₹25 lakh.
A fact-finding report conducted by Bahutva Karnataka, soon after the lynching incident had pointed out that the silence of then BJP government implicitly sanctioned and emboldened members of the Sangh Parivar, who demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and the Constitution.
