PUCL seeks SIT or CBI investigation into Ummar murder case

Accusing Alwar police of misrepresenting the facts around murder of dairy farmer Ummar Mohammad, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan, said on Wednesday that the SP concerned was trying to pass off the murder by cow vigilantes as an encounter between two gangs of criminals: cow smugglers and anti-social elements.

The SP’s note has stated that the victim died during an encounter between the gangs of two communities—Meo and Gurjar—without mentioning names of the communities, a statement issued by PUCL’s Rajasthan unit claimed. “By showing victims as cow smugglers and criminals, the Rajasthan government has decided to not rise to occasion and provide protection to Muslim lives which are in jeopardy. This is going to embolden cow vigilantes to have absolute impunity to go on killing Muslim dairy farmers.”

“It clearly indicates that efforts are being made to protect the so called Gau Rakshaks, the killers in the case and their links to right wing groups. This note also seems to be aimed at taking away the heat which was built against Rajasthan government nationally and internationally for increasing crimes in Rajasthan due to cow vigilantism,” the statement read.

The eight-points note, according to PUCL, also tries to show a history of cow smuggling by Tahir and Ummar. “The first point states that Umar and his colleagues are cow smugglers for which they were wanted in various cases of cow smuggling. The term ‘alleged’ is also not used and instead it has been stated that they were smuggling cows again this time in a pickup truck with a fake number and that both sides fired at each other, thus trying to show that these were gangsters involved in a fight. But it has not mentioned the history of criminality of Bhagwan Singh and others involved in the murder case, two of whom have been arrested. So, the crime of the murder has been downplayed while the note apparently tries to defame the now deceased Ummar and his seriously injured associate Tahir and the driver Javed.”

The statement further said that “The police note does not make any mention about mutilation of the body, transportation of the body to the railway track, which comes under the jurisdiction of another police station, tyres being stolen from the pickup truck and the role of police in all this.”

“Tahir, the alleged accused for cow smuggling had 5 cases against him, 3 of cow smuggling, and two relating to simple brickbats. Of the 5 cases, he was wanted for three and was absconding in one,” the statement read, adding that “ For Umar, police note says that verified records show that he too had a case of cow smuggling in 2012, for which he was wanted.”

The note concludes that both the sides were criminals and this incident should be looked upon as a fight between two criminal groups in which one death happened due to the firing that ensued, PUCL statement added.

Seeking justice for the slain dairy farmer, Ummar and his injured associates, PUCL, meanwhile, has listed following demands:

• The case be transferred to the SIT or CBI for fair and just investigation and all the accused including the policemen be arrested.
• The role of the police be examined as without their complicity the body could not have been transported, the tyres of the pickup truck carrying the cows and bullocks could not have been stolen.
• Police should immediately stop branding Ummar and other dairy farmers accompanying him on November 10 as cow-smugglers as there are not convicts in any such case.
• The in-charge of Govindgarh police station be suspended and the SP too be suspended for providing impunity to cow vigilantes as they struck a second time. First, at the time of Pehlu Khan and secondly, on November 10.
• The deceased’s family be given a monetary compensation amounting to ₹25 lakh besides a government job for one member of the aggrieved family.
• Tahir and Javed also be provided protection and financial compensation.
• The Raje government must come out with a safety plan for Meos in Alwar, Bharatpur and generally for dairy farmers belonging to Muslim community. The protection of the life and liberty of the Meos and all the other Muslims of the state is a constitutional obligation of the state.