New Delhi: Six months after two men from Rajasthan were allegedly beaten and burnt alive by cow vigilantes, Rajasthan Police claimed the prime suspect in the case, Monu Manesar, was not “directly involved” in the killings.
Addressing a press conference Monday, Rajasthan Director-General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra said that police were now probing Manesar’s “indirect involvement” in the murders of Junaid (35) and Nasir (25) in February this year.
“The criminals that were present at the spot and were involved in the killing. He (Monu Manesar) is not among them,” Mishra told reporters. “Our police team went to Nuh and we are seeking the help of Haryana Police. The main matter is the killing of Junaid and Nasir. However, we are investigating his indirect role in the killings”.
Mishra’s statement comes at a time when the killings were reportedly seen as one of the factors that led to the violence in Nuh in Haryana’s Mewat region on 31 July. Six people — including two home guards and a cleric — were killed in the violence that eventually spilled over into neighbouring Gurugram.
Kulbushan Bhardwaj, an advocate from Gurugram and a member of Hindutva group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed Mishra’s statement. Monu Manesar was a member of VHP’s youth wing, Bajrang Dal.
“We have been saying from the start that he is not involved in the matter. He was defamed and framed in the killings,” he told ThePrint. “He was staying at a hotel that day. We have been saying that the police can check his location. He was not present on the spot.”
But Junaid’s family sees the DGP’s statement as a setback.
“He (Monu Manesar) is our killer. He has given instructions to people. The evidence is with the police,” Junaid’s brother Ismail told ThePrint. Ismail had been the one to file a First Information Report (FIR) after the two bodies were discovered. “To say he is not directly involved is outright wrong. He has orchestrated the entire killing”.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Police clarified Tuesday that Manesar hasn’t been given a “clean chit” and he remains a suspect in the case.
It is clarified that DGP, Rajasthan and #RajasthanPolice have not given any clean chit to Monu Manesar in Nasir Junaid murder case.
Monu figures as accused in #FIR. His role in hatching conspiracy and abetting the heinous crime is under active investigation.
— Rajasthan Police (@PoliceRajasthan) August 14, 2023
Also Read: Nuh violence got India’s attention, but Mewat wasn’t always communal
‘Helpless’
In February this year, Junaid and Nasir, who belonged to Bharatpur in Rajasthan, were allegedly abducted and tortured before being killed by cow vigilantes. Their charred bodies were found near Loharu in Haryana’s Bhiwani on 16 February. Monu Manesar, also known as Mohit Yadav, was among the prime suspects in the case.
The killings had led to significant anger in Haryana’s Muslim-majority Nuh district.
On 31 July, a religious procession organised by the VHP in Nuh ended in clashes that claimed six lives. A week before the violence, Manesar, who has been absconding since February, allegedly posted “provocative videos” on social media.
Last week, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had promised to provide assistance to Rajasthan Police to arrest Manesar if he’s found guilty.
Like Bhardwaj, Shailender ‘Hindu’, a cow vigilante from Palwal, maintained Manesar was innocent.
“We are very happy after hearing DGPs statement. How long can the truth be hidden? No one from the gau raksha dal (cow vigilante groups), including Monu Manesar, is involved in the killing. I know, in the end, we will win,” he told ThePrint.
But Ismail said the DGP’s statement has made his family “helpless”. “We can’t help what the DGP has said but we know that Monu Manesar is involved in the killings,” Ismail told ThePrint.
This is an updated version of this report.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
Also Read: India has a mob justice problem. Junaid-Nasir killing isn’t just about religion