2 min readRaipurFeb 18, 2026 07:21 AM IST
All 17 men who were arrested for rioting and murdering a father-son duo from a minority community during communal violence in 2023 in Biranpur village in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district were on Tuesday acquitted by a Sessions court in Bemetara.
Rahim Umad Mohamed, 55, and his son Idul Mohamed, 35, were beaten to death with stones and sticks by a mob in Chechanmeta, near Biranpur village, on April 10, 2023. The murder took place in the afternoon, and the bodies were discovered the next morning.
The incident took place months before the state’s assembly elections.
Just days earlier, on April 8, 2023, communal violence was witnessed in the area, spiralling out of a petty fight between two minors. Within hours, the villagers called a meeting.
During the meeting, there were rumours of Hindus getting beaten up in a minority-dominated area of the village, following which a mob ran into the area and a clash ensued. During the violence, 23-year-old Bhuneshwar Sahu was killed.
The next day, April 9, over 700 personnel were deployed in Biranpur to avoid any further escalation. On April 10, a bandh was announced by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Despite the heavy deployment, a crowd led by then BJP state president and current Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao attempted to enter the village.
That same day, a house near Biranpur village was burnt. It belonged to Rahim’s daughter and son-in-law. The following day, the bodies of Rahim and his son, who had left home to graze cattle against police advice, were discovered.
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Back then, six FIRs, including a murder case, were registered, and 17 men were arrested. Later that year, the BJP won the assembly elections and, after coming to power, handed over Sahu’s murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sahu’s father, Ishwar Sahu, was given a ticket by the BJP and won the MLA election from the Saja constituency.
A detailed court order is yet to be uploaded.
