Kin of Meerut victims of police firing still waiting for autopsy reports

Mohsin, younger brother of Imran, who was killed in anti-CAA protest in Meerut is running from pillar to post for the past fortnight to get the post-mortem report. Every day he hears the same reply from policemen, “Kal aana. Report nahi aayee” (Come tomorrow. The report has not been received.)

“I cannot understand why they are not giving us the autopsy report. Why is the delay and what for,” Mohsin told this reporter on telephone.

Mohsin’s case is not an isolated one. Four young men died during clashes on December 20 in Meerut after Friday prayers. Family members of all these families are still waiting to receive the autopsy reports and complain that the police have been stalling their request.

Asif also died in Meerut that day. Naushad, his uncle, has been visiting the Lisari gate police station in Meerut but the response has been the same.

Naushad approached local political leaders including the local sabhasad (councillor), , city Congress president and many other leaders including local leaders of Rashtriya Lok Dal. But there has been no breakthrough.

A local Congress leader, Zahid Ansari, said he had met families of several victims. “They are living in fear. The family members of the victim are reluctant to go to the police stations, fearing that they could also be implicated in false cases.

“People are not ready to visit police stations alone. They go there in groups. Sometimes the neighbours accompany them to the police station in solidarity. Walk to any Muslim mohulla, and you can find that fear is palpable. People do not talk about the violence and December 20 because they cannot trust people, who might betray their confidence and inform the police about them,” Ansari said.

Residents allege that the reluctance of the police to part with autopsy reports is because all the deaths were caused by bullet injuries. They fear that people could take the police to court. The Director General of police O.P. Singh continues to maintain that nobody in Uttar Pradesh died of police firing, although SP, Bijnor and SP, Meerut have both admitted to deaths in police firing. They claimed that police fired in self-defence.

“There is a concerted effort to conceal the truth. But the truth will come to the fore one day. We will see how long the police can sit tight on the autopsy reports. We are sure that the reports will reveal a different story,” Anees Ahmad, a lawyer said.

Anees Ahmad is a member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which has offered to provide legal aid to people detained in the aftermath of the anti-CAA violence.

Police spokesman Prashant Kumar, while denying that police have been willfully delaying the process, claimed that a set procedure had to be followed to get the autopsy reports. If there is problem, then they should meet the SSP concerned,” he added.