The gruesome murder of a Hindu youth named Manohar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has turned into a political storm now. The BJP criticised the Congress government on Monday, alleging that the latter’s bad policies had caused the state’s law and order to crumble. Manohar Lal was brutally murdered for being in a relationship with a Muslim girl named Rukhsana.
According to opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur, no government official has visited the victim Manohar’s family in the 13 days since the murder. Thakur reiterated the BJP’s call for an NIA investigation into the matter and warned that the party would not remain silent if such horrible crimes continued to persist.
“The people voted for Congress to bring change and not for appeasement of a particular community and we are with the family of the victim in this war for justice,” Thakur said. “We were stopped from meeting the family of the victim and by making allegations against those demanding justice for the victim, the government is siding with the accused,” he further added.
Addressing a press meeting on June 19, the former state CM posed serious questions in the Manohar murder case and said that the head of the family accused of murder, Sharif Mohammed, has carried out several dubious financial transactions. He said that the accused had exchanged Rs 95 lakhs during demonetisation and that he had bank deposits of around Rs 2 crores.
Thakur stated that the BJP has looked into the matter to further learn that the accused has illegally occupied 100 bighas of government land when only 3 bighas of it are registered in the name of the accused. As per Thakur, the accused also sells 200 sheep and goats annually when he actually owns only 100 of them.
Thakur also alleged that Sharif Mohammed has a criminal record and that he has terrorist connections. He stated that the accused were linked to the Satrundi terror attack in Chamba in 1998. This incident had claimed the lives of 35 people.
The statement by Thakur comes days after an agitated mob comprising locals burned down the house of the accused in the gruesome Manohar Lal murder case in the Salooni area in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
The protestors also led a demonstration outside the Kihar Police Station. They raised some slogans and demanded strict action against the killers of the 21-year-old Manohar Lal. Following the murder, Manohar Lal’s body was chopped into eight pieces and thrown in a water stream in Bhandal village of Chamba district.
The boy was first called by the accused and then was beaten with sticks and then chopped into eight pieces. Later, the body was put into a drain after he died. While patrolling in the region on June 9, four soldiers from the Indian Reserve Battalion discovered the body. Some media reports suggest that the chopped body was found in a sack after locals noticed it and informed the police.
As per Police officials, 11 accused have been arrested in this case. Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan had earlier announced that investigations were underway regarding the accusations of construction of houses on private land in the Sankchuri area and encroachment on forest department land.
Additionally, DC Devgan has informed the media that the Income Tax Department will be engaged to probe the substantial funds deposited in the accused’s accounts. Furthermore, the Revenue Department has been directed to initiate an investigation into the confiscated land.
Thakur on Monday also added that due to the wrong policies of the Congress government, law and order in the state has collapsed and police officers are making political statements. “The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government has failed to fulfill the guarantees given by the Congress during the assembly polls,” he added.
