By Shahnaz M, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow: In the aftermath of the communal violence in Maharajganj, Bahraich district, the narrative surrounding the death of Ram Gopal Mishra is steeped in grief, confusion and conflicting accounts. While the Mishra family’s statements highlight a personal tragedy, they also reveal significant inconsistencies and potential loopholes that complicate the broader understanding of the incident.
Harmilan Mishra, the victim’s brother, claimed that he was present when his brother’s body was retrieved. “I came to know that my brother had been shot, and his body was found at Abdul Hamid’s house.”
However, the claim that his brother was shot at a specific location raises questions, as eyewitnesses and purported videos of the incident have indicated that Ram Gopal was involved in the violence and provocations during the immersion ceremony.
A widely circulated video on social media purportedly captured him climbing onto the terrace of Abdul Hamid’s house in Maharajganj. In the footage, he can be seen shaking the iron railing until it breaks, then tearing down a green flag — a common symbol of Islamic identity — and replacing it with a saffron flag, a color often associated with right-wing Hindu groups.
Moments after he hoisted the saffron flag, a bullet struck him in the chest, causing his body to collapse onto the terrace. Villagers and Mishra’s relatives assert that he succumbed to his injuries on the spot. However, Mishra’s wife contends that he might have survived had the police responded more swiftly and taken him to the hospital. The autopsy later confirmed that he died from shock and hemorrhage resulting from the gunshot wound.
Several eyewitnesses also reported that he removed an Islamic flag and replaced it with a saffron one just moment before the shooting, suggesting a direct provocation that may have led to the violence.
This story was originally published in twocircles.net. Read the full story here.
