–Pawan Kumar Bansal
GURUGRAM(HARYANA)—The recovery of the charred bodies of two youths from the jungles of Peeru village in the Bhiwani district of Haryana has raised several questions.
Youths identified as Juned and Nasir, both real brothers, were kidnapped from the Gopalgarh area of Bharatpur district, beaten mercilessly and killed.
As their bodies were found inside their Bolero car, it is not yet clear if the youths were first killed and their bodies burnt along with the vehicle or if they were burnt alive inside the car. In either situation, the ruthless crime warrants stern action from Rajasthan and Haryana police.
Why were they kidnapped? Were they having enmity with the killers yet to be identified and arrested? The family rejects this angle.
Their family says they were kidnapped allegedly by Bajrang Dal workers who suspected them of being cow killers. The family also levelled allegations against the Haryana police of being hand in glove in the crime. However, the Haryana police have denied the allegations. But, the incident puts a question mark on the rule of law in Haryana and the performance of police in curbing the heinous crimes, particularly against the minority community on the pretext of cow protection, which has only boomed in the Mewat area bordering Rajasthan for quite some time.
This indicates how the so-called “cow protectors” in Haryana have taken the law into their hands instead of the police and have virtually usurped the powers of police in the guise of checking cow killing. A kidnapping case is already registered in the Gopalgarh police station of the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. Among the accused mentioned in the FIR is a well-known Bajrang Dal activist of Haryana who is known to have good connections with the top political bosses of the ruling party in Haryana.
Undoubtedly cow killing is quite common in the Mewat area of Haryana. But the million-dollar question being asked in media and political circles is: Who has given powers to Bajrang Dal activists to punish the alleged cow killers? Do they have the authority or the official powers to chase alleged cow traders or cow killers, kidnap and then kill them? If they do not have any official permission, every action – from tracking the suspects to attacking them – is a crime. So why Haryana police or, for that matter, the police of other states have turned a blind eye to crimes by the self-appointed “cow vigilantes,” a phrase that carries an aura of respect around it?
Victim’s brother alleges that the crime investigation agency (CIA) team of Ferozedpur -Jhirka handed his brothers to Bajrang Dal activists after catching them. But the Haryana police deny the allegation. Bajrang Dal workers seem to be running a parallel government in Haryana’s Nuh, Palwal, Faridabad and Gurugram districts on the pretext of cow protection.
Now the Rajasthan Police will investigate the case. Bhiwani police have handed over the burnt car and charred bodies to Rajasthan police. A team consisting of three doctors, namely Sandeep, Vikas and Anuj of Civil Hospital at Loharu in Bhiwani district, where bodies were recovered in a Bolero car, have conducted the post-mortem of bodies. The hospital in-charge Dr. Gaurav told this scribe that they had sent samples taken from the charred bodies for further examination to Forensic Lab, Jaipur.
When asked why the samples were not sent to the Forensic lab of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences(PGIMS), Rohtak, Dr. Gaurav said police had requested them to send samples to the Rajasthan lab as the case of kidnapping is registered there.
Now the Forensic Lab at Jaipur has to establish the identity of bodies, cause of death and timing of death. They have to examine whether the victims were first killed and then burnt or burnt alive. What was the timing of the burning? Bhiwani Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Shekhawat says he is in touch with his Bharatpur counterpart and has apprised him about the developments here.
Now Rajasthan police will investigate the accused involved in the crime as well as the role of the Haryana police. Rajasthan police must also investigate if any local residents of Loharu or the village where the Bolero was found were also involved in the crime. This is important because it was certainly not possible for kidnappers to drive so far from Gopalgarh to Loharu without any local connection in the Bhiwani district.
If this aspect is investigated successfully, it will bust an inter-state gang involved in targeting, lynching and killing boys from the minority community of Mewat area in Haryana and Rajasthan on the pretext of cow protection. And why did the kidnappers bring their targets – Juned and Nasir – to Haryana? Do the criminals feel safe in Haryana? Do the criminals think that the Haryana police will be soft on them?
Haryana police must investigate the criminals behind this incident to ensure its image is not tarnished. As crimes against minorities increase in Haryana, it only suggests that the police are not strict with the criminals operating in the guise of cow protection. No doubt, police must be strict with those indulging in cow killing, but they should not allow the ‘private armies’ to do the job because this will only result in lawlessness, extortion and murders.
Following this heinous crime, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar must make all efforts to end this ‘Gundagardi’ in the guise of protecting cows. Mr. Khattar has taken oath on the Constitution to protect the lives of every citizen of Haryana, irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
The writer is a retired principal correspondent of The Indian Express. He is the author of the best-selling book on politics, culture and governance of Haryana titled “Haryana ke Lalon ke Sabrang kisse”. The book was admired by Justice PB Sawant, Khushwant Singh, Kuldeep Nayar, Prabash Joshi and Kapil Dev. Currently, he runs a blog: Gustakhi Maaf Haryana.
