Haryana’s Bhiwani region is in news for the past few days after two charred dead bodies of cattle smugglers identified as Junaid (35) and Nasir (25) were found in a car. Based on the complaint filed by the family members of the deceased, the police alleged that the two were abducted by 5 Gaurakshaks and were burnt alive in Bhiwani’s Loharu area.
The deceased belonged to the Ghatmika village of Bharatpur, Rajasthan and hence, the complaint was filed by the family members in Rajasthan. The Police identified 4-5 accused in the case and arrested one of them recently. The arrested Gaurakshak who has been arrested in the case has been identified as Rinku Saini while others have been identified are Shrikant Pandit, Monu Manesar alias Mohit Yadav and a few other unknown members of his group.
The Rajasthan Police started the investigation in the case after the Police discovered the charred remains on February 16 and are searching for Yadav who is identified as the alleged prime accused in the case. It also is searching for other members of Yadav’s group including Shrikant who has been allegedly accused in the case.
Meanwhile, a real brutal side of Rajasthan Police came to the fore on February 17 when it reached Shrikant’s house and forcefully raided his premises in Haryana. The Police arrived at his house in Nuh late at night when everybody was fast asleep and forced his family members to open the gate. The Police then barged into the premises and assaulted the family members as they informed them that Shrikant was not at home and that he had gone outside for some work.
The Police pushed Shrikant’s mother, Dulari, and his 9-month pregnant wife, injuring all three- his mother, wife, and the to-be-born child. Reportedly, while raiding Shrikant’s room, the Police further happened to kick the womb of his pregnant wife, resulting in the death of the child inside the womb.
Shrikant’s mother Dulari, while describing the brutality of the Rajasthan Police, stated that the Police officer hit her daughter-in-law in the stomach. “After that my daughter-in-law complained of severe stomach pain. We immediately took her to the hospital where doctors operated on her to bring my dead grandchild out into this world. My grandchild was bleeding and had stopped breathing inside,” she said as she could not stop crying.
Meanwhile, Shrikant’s wife stated that around 4-5 Police vans arrived at their doorstep and forced them to open the house gates when everybody in the house was asleep. “This all happened before 4 am. I can’t remember the exact timing as we all were sleeping. The Police attacked my in-laws and injured my mother-in-law. We told them that Shrikant was not there at home but they didn’t listen. They damaged the furniture of our house and assaulted me. I was 9 months pregnant and doctors had said that the child would come into this world in the coming 15 days. The Police hit me in my stomach and my child was born dead,” said Shrikant’s wife who looked traumatized in the video shared by Sudarshan news journalist Sagar Kumar.
Reports mention that the Rajasthan Police also took Shrikant’s brothers Vishnu and Rahul away with them. Shrikant’s father said that the Police also attempted to arrest him but his wife, Dulari managed to convince the Police to at least leave him alone, given her daughter-in-law’s serious health condition.
Shrikant’s mother happened to file a police complaint in Nuh, Haryana, stating that around 30-40 persons dressed in Rajasthan Police uniforms entered her home at 3:30 am on February 17 and abducted her two sons named Vishnu and Rahul. She also said that they used abusive language for her and her family members and forcefully raided the premises, searching for Shrikant. She has demanded strict action against the culprits who hit her pregnant daughter-in-law, resulting in the death of her grandchild.
Rajasthan Police have alleged that Shrikant, Mohit Yadav, Rinku Saini, and other members of their Gaurakshak group have burnt Junaid and Nasir alive in Bhiwani’s Loharu region. However, Yadav who has been primarily framed in the case said that the Police are unnecessarily leveling allegations against them. He also said that he was in Gurugram when the incident happened and that the footage of his presence in Gurugram’s hotel is also available.
Junaid and Nasir were cattle smugglers, five FIRs already filed against Junaid
According to the Police, Junaid and Nasir from Bharatpur were engaged in cattle smuggling, and there are 4 to 5 FIRs already filed in their name. However, the duo never got arrested. Family members of the deceased alleged in the report that five members of Bajrang Dal caught Junaid and Nasir in Firozpur, Haryana, and attempted to take them to the police. However, the Police denied arresting the duo looking at their condition. Mohammad Jabir, a relative of Junaid and Nasir, further alleged that the Bajrang Dal members then took the duo to Bhiwani’s Loharu region, where their charred remains were recovered by the Police.
Prime ‘accused’ Yadav on target of cattle smugglers
It is important to note here that Mohit Yadav, who is the main accused in the case, is an active gaurakshak and that he has been on target of the cattle smugglers. Earlier in the year 2019, he was almost killed by cattle smugglers who fired bullets at him for protecting the cows from being smuggled.
Yadav works as gaurakshak in Mewat, a hotbed of cattle smuggling and violence against Police
Yadav has been working for Gauraksha in the Mewat region, which is spread across two Indian states, namely Rajasthan and Haryana. The loose boundaries of Mewat generally include Hathin tehsil and Nuh district of Haryana, Ferozepur Jhirka, Punahana, and Taoru. The region is said to be the hotbed of organized crime, cattle smuggling, and mob violence against the Police. It is also very susceptible to communal tensions. The villages here house a large Muslim population who have time and again launched attacks on the Police who investigate cases involving criminals.
Earlier, in 2018, 13 policemen were injured after villagers of Rahri village reportedly attacked them with stones when they reached the village to arrest wanted ATM robber Rafiq, alias Bachhi. The villagers managed to free the criminal. Further, in August of that year, Villagers in Mewat attacked Police during an operation organized to nab wanted criminal Shabbir in a bid to free the criminal.
This has become a common trend in Mewat which the mainstream media or social media fails to highlight. Reports from 2016 suggest that the police in the Mewat region were scared to take action against the smugglers as they were and are even today supported by the locals there. The police in September 2016 had discovered 300 hides of cows stashed in a mini-truck that was traveling from Gurgaon to Mewat but could not take action against the smugglers. Later, the Alwar Police detected 72 cases of cattle smuggling in Alwar and 40 in Bharatpur. The corresponding numbers for 2015 were 100 and 30 respectively.
Mewat is afflicted with several such issues. However, the region is moving closer to even greater anarchy due to the conspiracy of silence around the true causes of the communal tinderbox that the entire area has become. Vigilantes tend to inevitably occupy the space the state has abandoned due to the region’s total breakdown of law and order and the Police’s inability to impose law and order.