In a suspected attack as part of the campaign against north Indians in Maharashtra, a 25-year-old Uttar Pradesh migrant died after being beaten up in a local train by fellow commuters, who allegedly picked up a fight with him and his three friends, police said on Wednesday.The deceased, Dharam Dev, a resident of Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, was onboard a Mumbai CST-bound local train from Khopoli along with the three friends yesterday when incident occurred.Dev, who works as a helper at a construction site, was occupying the window seat in the train, when a group of eight to ten commuters, who appeared to be local villagers, forced them to vacate the seat, police said.The local group then asked Dev and his friends if they were 'bhaiyyas' after which they started abusing them, they said.According to the statement given by the victim's friends, the four were slapped and kicked, thus rendering Dev unconscious.The local group got off the train at Karjat, while Dev and his friends remained in the train. The victim's friend then called up the Railway Protection Force (RPF) control number, which is displayed in trains.Officials from the RPF then boarded the train at Badlapur and Dev was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.A K Sharma, Commissioner of GRP, said, "As per our information, the person died at the hospital. The information we have suggests that there were no external injuries on the victim's body. We are waiting for the postmortem report"."We have filed a case of rioting and murder against 10 to 12 unknown persons at the Karjat railway police station," Sharma said."Some persons have been brought in for questioning at Karjat police station but no arrests have been made yet in the case," he added.Death of UP youth: Shivraj Patil speaks to Maha CMNew Delhi, October 29:Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil talked to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in the wake of a youth from Uttar Pradesh being beaten up in a local train in Mumbai.Patil spoke over telephone to the Chief Minister amidst suggestions from the Centre that the state administration should remain cautious and alert in the wake of possibilities of linking the death of a weapon-wielding youth from Bihar in a police shootout to attacks on North Indians in the state.Minister of State for Home Shakil Ahmed that since these are very sensitive times, Maharashtra should be extra careful.He said Maharashtra government has informed the Centre that the death of the UP migrant was due to clash between two groups of youngsters on sitting arrangement in a local train.A Home Ministry spokesman said details have been sought from the state government about the incident, which came close on the heels of the death of Rahul Raj, a youth from Patna, who was shot dead by the police in a Mumbai bus on Monday.Rahul had held a bus load of passengers hostage in Mumbai with a country-made revolver.Lynching of youth not 'hate crime': PatilMumbai, October 29:Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil made it clear that lynching of a person in a train was not a ‘hate crime’ against North Indians and the government will pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the victim, who was beaten to death by fellow commuters."This is not a hate crime and we will give compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the victim," Patil said."The state government owns the responsibility of protecting migrants from other states including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh," he said.When asked whether the attackers were MNS activists, he said, "I do not have any confirmation of the report. But we will take strict action against the offenders." Paswan demands imposition of President's rule in MaharashtraPatna, October 29:Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan demanded dismissal of Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra and trial of MNS leader Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on charges of murder and sedition in view of MNS' anti-North Indian campaign.'If a warning has not yet been issued to Maharashtra government under Article 355, there is no need for it any more and Vilasrao Deshmukh government must be dismissed forthwith,'' Paswan, president of Lok Janashakti Party (LJP), said.Alleging that North-Indians were being attacked as part of 'deep rooted conspiracy', Paswan said Maharastra Navanirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray and his uncle Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray must be tried on charges of murder and sedition.Pressing his point, Paswan said barely a day after a youth from Patna Rahul Raj was shot dead by Maharashtra police, who were reluctant to pull the trigger against MNS mobs brutalising helpless Biharis, a youth from Uttar Pradesh Dharamdev Rai was beaten to death in a train by 'divisive forces trying to reap political benefit by fomenting regionalism'.Paswan, who was speaking after visiting Rahul Raj's family here, said an all-party delegation had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court.''It is unfortunate that the Maharashtra government is getting the incident probed by the chief secretary. The LJP rejects this probe and will settle for nothing less than a judicial inquiry,'' he said.Lalu threatens to cancel train operationNew Delhi, October 29:Against the backdrop of killing of a North Indian youth on a train in a Mumbai suburb, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad threatened to suspend train movement in states where rail passengers and properties are repeatedly attacked."Railways are becoming soft target in many states these days. If railway properties and passengers continued to be attacked we may think of cancelling train operations in those areas," Prasad said.The Minister, however, clarified that he did not mean any particular state.Prasad also spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and expressed serious concern over the incident involving Dharam Dev, the youth hailing from Uttar Pradesh who was beaten to death by fellow commuters.The Minister also announced compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the next kith and kin of the deceased youth."Prime Minister and Soniaji have assured me that they would immediately take up the matter with Maharashtra government," he said.Seeking tough action against those involved in the train incident, Prasad requested the Prime Minister to ensure ‘full security’ to North Indians in Maharashtra during the Chhath festival."I have told the Prime Minister to take stringent action against those behind the incident. I also spoke to Deshmukh for action against the culprits," he said.
