A Hindu man identified as Manohar Lal was murdered in Himachal Pradesh. Manohar was missing since June 6, and his dead body was recovered from a brook near the village on June 9. As per reports, his dead body was chopped into eight pieces and stuffed in a sack. The incident took place in village Bandal of Saluni village, district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
As per the police, a total of five people have been arrested in the matter so far. Two of the accused are juvenile females, and three are adults. Speaking to OpIndia, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vinod Kumar Dhiman categorically denied the communal angle in the matter. He said in the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that Manohar was having an affair with the sister of the accused. “Though the victim was Hindu and the accused are Muslims, there was no communal angle in the matter. The victim and accused were having an affair. We have arrested five people, two juvenile females, and three adults. Prima facie, there is no evidence of the communal angle in the murder,” said ASP Dhiman.
Reports suggest that Manohar had an affair with a Muslim girl named Rukhsana. Her family members were not in favour of the relationship. On June 6, Manohar went missing while returning to his home. His family members searched for him but could not find any traces. Three days later, some people noticed a foul smell coming out of the brook. They informed the police about the sack. The police reached the spot, recovered the bag, and found a chopped up dead body.
Hindu organisations learned about the incident and demanded strict action against the accused. A case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant sections has been filed against the accused. Though police refused to reveal the names of the accused, media reports identified one of the accused as Shabbir. He has been sent to police remand by the court. Reports suggest he is the brother of Rukhsana.
The mother of the victim has demanded a death sentence for the accused. She accused Rukhsana’s uncle Musafir of being involved in the murder. Speaking to OpIndia Hindi, the Media Cell Head of Chamba Police said the investigation led by ASP is underway.
Speaking to OpIndia, district head of Bajrang Dal Ravi Bharadwaj said that if the administration fails to take action against the accused, they will take the matter to the roads and start protests. Local BJP leader Ajay Tondon said the murder was a conspiracy to create tension in the area. He added Devdar’s human trafficking gang of Muslims could be behind the murder.
As per reports, local Muslim leaders have condemned the murder and boycotted the family. They accused the family of stirring communal tension in an otherwise peaceful area. However, Tondon said the statements given by Muslim leaders are just a whitewash. “After a few days of expressing anger, they will come together,” he added.