Salman Sultan,
Pehlu Khan was transporting milch cattle, bought in a genuine purchase, when he was accosted by so-called ‘Gau Rakshaks’ who took law into their hands and clobbered Pehlu Khan into a dead body in front of his son. In a CID-CB enquiry, Police officials could not find evidence of the presence of accused named in, nonetheless, a dying declaration of Pehlu Khan. As per enquiry, accused could not be located (cell phone data) in time and space with the place of gruesome murder. In a TV report, it was told that the Cows belonging to Pehlu Khan is now in possession of one of the accused who maintains a Cow shelter. Therefore, a daring theft preceded the murder. The enquiry has not bothered to explain presence of Cows belonging to Pehlu Khan in Shri Rath Sarvajanik Gaushala of Dahmi village, owned by one of the alleged assailant ‘Jagmal Yadav’.
Time and again these so-called ‘Gau Rakshaks’ have taken law into their hands in the name of Cow protection as they are pretty confident of no action on part of a politically cowed down Police Force. However, they never bother about scores of stray Cows roaming busy streets of our cities that have to satisfy their pangs of hunger by munching rubbish, inclusive of harmful polythene. It has been observed that population of stray Cows is on the rise as they are being abandoned in view of costly maintenance of unproductive Cows. Administration has not been trying to implement Hon’ble Gujarat High Court orders, for cities like Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, as they are afraid of the backlash of owners of these stray cattle. Why aren’t ‘Gau Rakshaks’ being made to take responsibility of these gentle animals who are victim of negligence of their Masters?
On the contrary, six alleged assailants of Pehlu Khan have been given clean chit by CID-CB in even less than six months. It is not that we don’t have competent Police Officers but the tragedy is the fate of an upright officer who abides by the rule of law. The moment an honest Police Officer cracks the whip, telephone starts ringing and in due course of time this honest, upright Officer is compelled to join the melee of easy-going Officers who have chosen to understand the ways of intricate government functioning.
Let us now try to follow the progress of trial of Batla House Fake Encounter victims languishing in Jails. In this so-called encounter where an injured Police Inspector died mysteriously after alighting three flight of stairs and walking quite a distance on his own with little friendly support, two boys were killed, one a teenager, in cold blood as evidenced by repeated shots on the skull. One of the arrested boys was not even present at the time as he was taking up an exam in a prestigious management institute. It was only on the advice of his father (a reputed school teacher) that he went to a TV studio with the intent of surrendering. He was not only arrested but a few days after the tragedy he was shown explaining, in a Police arranged Press Conference, about his bomb planting itinerary. In spite of contradictory enquiry reports and umpteen loopholes in the story which even included wrong bank account details of a deceased. The boys killed on the spot were demonized incessantly by our unscrupulous TRP conscious TV channels.
Even after about a decade (September 19, 2008) boys who were studying in different educational institutions are languishing in different Jails of our country. Why is the trial being dragged by the prosecutors if they have a water-tight case? Benefit of doubt given to so-called ‘Gau Rakshaks’ in Pehlu Khan Murder case on the basis of cell phone data was not attempted in case of Batla House accused. In most of such so-called terror related trials accused have been acquitted honourably by our Courts but only after losing precious years of their life. As has been observed in most cases Hon’ble Courts have arrived at a verdict only after a decade or so. By and large we all have faith in our judiciary but we fail to understand as to why Hon’ble Courts are not initiating proceedings against Investigative Officers who err in their duty. Unless IOs are brought to book innocent persons will suffer not only through incarceration but by losing irretrievably precious career building years of their life.
A SIT probe for Batla House encounter, on the lines of 1984 Sikh riots, was demanded by a Congress MLA in Delhi assembly (2014) but it was not heeded. Honourable Courts should sincerely look into the modus operandi of Prosecution which may be deliberately delaying the proceedings through inconsequential witnesses and other procrastinating tactics. When ultimately, Hon’ble Courts will release these hapless youths, they will not be able to compensate even one day of the precious life out of decade of wasted youthful lives.
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