By Meer Faisal
A 30-year-old cleric from Bihar’s Kishanganj district was allegedly killed after being assaulted and thrown from a moving train near Bareilly railway station on April 26, 2026.
Maulana Tousif Raza Mazhari, a resident of Bakhotoli village in Thakurganj, was found dead near railway tracks close to the station in Uttar Pradesh late Sunday night. While railway authorities have termed the incident an accident, his family has rejected the claim, alleging that he was beaten by unidentified individuals during his journey and murdered.
Raza, son of Abul Hussain, was an imam and a madrasa teacher in Siwan. He had travelled to Bareilly to attend the annual Urs of Tajusharia and was returning home by train when the incident occurred.
Wife Recalls Disturbing Final Call
His wife, Tabassum Khatoon, described the horrifying moments leading up to his death in an emotional account.
“This happened on the night of the 26th. He had called me while he was on the train. He sounded scared and told me that some people were beating him,” she told The Observer Post.
According to her, her husband repeatedly pleaded for help but received none from fellow passengers.
“They were calling him a thief and accusing him of stealing. He tried to show them his books and bag on a video call and said, ‘I am not a thief, I teach at a madrasa.’ I also shouted on the call asking people to help him, but no one listened,” she said.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.