Saddam Qureshi, the third victim of the Arang mob lynching incident, passed away on Tuesday after battling for his life for 12 days in a hospital. The state government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, but Saddam passed away before his statement could be recorded. His last rites will be conducted in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The violent incident has already claimed the lives of two other men, Guddu Khan and Chand Miya. Saddam, who was the sole witness to the brutal attack, had been left with severe head and internal injuries due to which he slipped into a coma.

The mob lynching occurred on June 7 night in the Arang region of Raipur district. According to reports, three men were transporting cattle in a truck when they were intercepted by a group of 10-12 people. The assailants brutally assaulted the trio. Upon receiving information, the police arrived and found the body of Chand Miya in the Mahanadi River. The other two injured men were rushed to the hospital, where Guddu Khan later succumbed to his injuries. Saddam was under treatment in a private hospital until his demise. All three victims hailed from Saharanpur and were allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of cattle smuggling.

In response to the incident, the Raipur SSP formed an SIT led by Raipur Rural Additional SP Kirtan Rathore. The team, comprising 14 police officers, has been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation and will submit a detailed report. The police have registered an FIR under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) against unidentified assailants at the Arang police station.

Meanwhile, tensions flared in Bilaspur on Monday over an unrelated incident involving the alleged slaughter of a cow. Activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal caught a family in the act of butchering a cow. The family maintained that they were processing the meat of a deceased cow. The altercation attracted significant attention, with women from the family also joining the fray to defend their actions, claiming they were selling the meat for ₹100 per kilogramme. Police seized the meat and registered a case.