Gurugram: Many an eyebrow was raised after the name of Haryana gau rakshak Monu Manesar went missing from a new list of accused wanted in the killing of two Muslim men from Bharatpur, in the wake of Hindu mahapanchayats coming out in support of the Bajrang Dal worker.
Apart from Monu, another accused Lokesh Singhla’s name was also missing from the second list released by the Rajasthan Police on Wednesday.
Besides Rinku Saini, Anil and Shrikant from the first list, the police named Kalu, Kishore, Monu Rana, Vikas Arya, Shashi Kant and Gogi. All the men, including Saini who has been arrested, are from Haryana.
The Rajasthan Police has clarified that Manesar has not been given a clean chit.
Both Rajasthan and Haryana police have already launched manhunts to arrest Monu, who is the main accused in the case in which the charred remains of Nasir and Junaid were found in a burnt SUV at Bhiwani on 16 February.
In its FIR lodged at Gopalgarh police station in Bharatpur on 16 February, the Rajasthan Police alleged Monu, Lokesh, Rinku, Anil, and Shrikant kidnapped the two men under suspicion of being cow smugglers, thrashed them and then burnt them alive.
The Rajasthan cops investigating these killings not only face an FIR against them in Haryana but also threats from Right-wing outfits based in Gurugram and Nuh districts.
On Tuesday, the Haryana Police lodged an FIR on the complaint by Shrikant Pandit’s mother that her pregnant daughter-in-law suffered miscarriage after she was allegedly assaulted by the Rajasthan cops during a raid. The body of the stillborn baby was exhumed Sunday.
Within hours of the registration of the FIR, a copy of which is with ThePrint, the Vishva Hindu Parishad tweeted the FIR and a press note from its Twitter handle.
The press note titled — ‘Rajasthan Police Par Nagina Mein Hui FIR, Muh Par Tamancha‘ (FIR registered against the Rajasthan Police at Nagina Police Station, a slap on its face) — was issued on behalf of Vinod Bansal, national spokesperson of the Vishva Hindu Parishad.
FIR copy attached herewith pic.twitter.com/dEhu0XVhbf
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) February 21, 2023
Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla could not be contacted over phone for his comments. The report will be updated if and when the Nuh district police chief’s response is received.
Also Read: Not just vigilantes: How gau rakshaks like Monu Manesar fuel Haryana govt’s cow protection drive
‘Monu under suspicion’
Meanwhile, Gaurav Srivastava, Inspector General (IG), Bharatpur Range, said on the basis of investigations and interrogation of Rinku Saini, the police released the names of eight accused whose complicity in the crime was clearly established.
“However, this does not mean that we have given anyone a clean chit. There are some other people whose involvement in the crime is to be established on the basis of evidence. The names of Monu Manesar and Lokesh are also included. Investigations are in progress to establish their complicity in the crime. But we will not name anyone until we have sufficient evidence against them,” Srivastava told ThePrint over his phone.
Asked how the names of Manesar and Lokesh were mentioned immediately after the crime, Srivastava said that the FIR is the starting point that sets the criminal investigating agencies in motion. As the investigation progresses, pieces of evidence come to the fore and involvement of people is established, he explained.
“On the basis of investigation, we informed the media Wednesday that the involvement of these eight, besides Rinku Saini who is in our custody, is clearly established. Nearly a dozen more people, including Monu Manesar and Lokesh, are under suspicion. But we will name any individual only once we have clear evidence to establish involvement in the crime,” the IG added.
Srivastava maintained that his personnel didn’t do anything illegal or in contravention to human rights while looking out for Shrikant.
“The Rajasthan Police definitely went to accused Shrikant’s house with the Haryana Police, but nothing of the sort as has been alleged in the FIR happened. We are a professional police force and we have been conducting our investigation in a professional way,” he said.
“Lodging an FIR is an individual’s right. But we are sure about our conduct and we are confident that the Haryana Police will investigate the FIR in a professional manner.”
On Tuesday, the Hindu mahapanchayat held at Manesar warned the Rajasthan Police that if they tried to arrest Monu, the cops will do so at their own risk.
Supporters of the mahapanchayat blocked Delhi-Jaipur national highway when they learnt that Rajasthan Police raided Monu’s residence. Later, the Haryana Police registered an FIR against 150 to 200 unknown persons for blocking the highway and causing inconvenience to the public.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: At Bhiwani Hindu mahapanchayat for Monu, call for Hindu unity repeated but only handful attend