Zafar’s family rejects ‘compromise’, to fight for justice

They may struggle to make ends meet but that will not deter Zafar Khan’s family from a legal fight so that the culprits behind his death are brought to justice. In fact, the family has rejected “compensation money” being offered by one of the culprits to “hush up the issue” and “assurances” of a government job for the deceased’s wife.

“We will fight until the culprits are brought to book. This is not something that we will compromise on,” says Noor Mohammad Khan, brother of Zafar Khan, who was reportedly lynched by civic sanitation workers in Rajasthan last Friday.

Initial reports of Khan's death said that he had intervened to stop civic officials, who were on a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign, from photographing women defecating in the open. Khan's actions led to a fight and he was allegedly beaten with sticks and later died.

Speaking to National Herald, Noor says, “The post-mortem report suggests death due to heart attack. But that is not the whole truth. My brother was beaten to death. We will fight the legal battle and will present eye witnesses to give their statements.”

However, Zafar’s brother Noor has lodged complaint against Kamal Harijan, Ritesh Harijan, Manish Harijan, Nagar Parishad Commissioner Ashok Jain and others. The FIR filed is under Section 302 of the IPC (for murder), according to Pratapgarh Kotwali police.

The family doesn’t have the resources for a legal case but Noor, who runs a small aluminium business, says he will go ahead and fight the case.

“We will issue an appeal for financial help for the family soon,” said social activist Kavita Krishnan, who is also a Politburo member of CPI-ML (Liberation).

The fight will go on

Interestingly, already an offer was made but that was from one of the alleged culprits. “Zafar’s wife has turned down the offer of a government job,too, apart from a compensation amount of Rs 2 lakh offered,” added Krishnan.

Zafar’s brother Noor says the money was being offered in exchange for them signing a raazinaama (compromise). In other words, the motive was: take the money and bury the issue.

With the lone earning member of the family gone, Zafar’s wife, Rasheeda, is obviously in dire financial trouble. The small kirana shop that was run by Zafar is now closed. While elder daughter Rukhsar is married, Rasheeda has to also take care of her second daughter Sabira, a Class X student. Still, when one of the accused, Kamal Harijan, came to her offering a cheque of ₹2 lakh and also an “assurance” of a government job, she declined both.

“I refused to accept the money. Also, the reality is that I have no job skills. What can help my family is a monthly pension of ₹20,000,” says Rasheeda.

Krishnan, along with CPI-ML (Liberation) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, had visited Zafar’s village on June 19 and addressed a huge protest in Pratapgarh. “The people are angry. People from Kachchi Basti came out in large numbers to join the protest,” Kavita tells National Herald. But, while people from various organisations have been regularly visiting the family, Noor is disappointed with the government. “No one from the government has cared to visit us till date,” he said.

Is the government listening?