What happened to Junaid-Nasir: Rajasthan Police say duo assaulted by 2 groups of gau rakshaks

 What happened to Junaid-Nasir: Rajasthan Police say duo assaulted by 2 groups of gau rakshaks

Confirming cow vigilantes alert police about movement of cattle smugglers, police say accused didn’t inform them about Nasir and Junaid on night of alleged abduction and murder.

BISMEE TASKIN

21 February, 2023 06:58 pm IST

Villagers gathered outside homes of Junaid, Nasir in Ghatmika village | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

Villagers gathered outside homes of Junaid, Nasir in Ghatmika village | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

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New Delhi: Two men alleged to have been kidnapped and killed by cow vigilantes in Bhiwani last week were tortured for several hours to extract information on the sources of cattle and their trafficking operations, Rajasthan Police sources familiar with the ongoing investigation have told ThePrint.

The severely injured men were then taken to Ferozepur-Jhirka police station in Haryana by the vigilantes, the sources said, but turned away by police officers who feared the duo — Junaid and Nasir — could die in custody.

Haryana Director General of Police P.K. Agarwal did not respond to queries from ThePrint seeking comment.

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Bharatpur Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gaurav Srivastava told ThePrint that “eight people have been clearly identified, their presence at the scene of the crime has been corroborated”.

“In total we suspect that there are 12 people involved in the case, their involvement is being verified. We are verifying Monu Manesar’s involvement in the matter,” Srivastava said. 

Manesar, also known as Mohit Yadav, has been booked in the matter but denies involvement. A Bajrang Dal leader from the Manesar area of Haryana, Yadav has been a prominent figure in violent cow vigilante groups operating in the region. 

According to Rajasthan Police sources, the two groups assaulted the duo with clubs and batons. 

Rajasthan Police sources said the cow vigilantes then took the two Muslim men to the Ferozepur-Jhirka police station and sought the registration of an FIR against them on charges of cattle smuggling. A Rajasthan Police officer involved in investigating the Junaid-Nasir case said “the Haryana Police asked the vigilantes to take away the two men after seeing their condition”.

“One of the groups then took the men to Bhiwani and burnt them. It is not yet clear if they were already dead by the time they were burnt.” Only parts of the skeleton were recovered from the car in Bhiwani.

Both residents of Ghatmika village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, Junaid and Nasir left home in a Bolero on the night of 14 February without informing their family members about their plans, said police sources. A case of abduction was then registered at Gopalgarh police station against five men including Manesar on a complaint by Junaid’s kin.

The skeletal remains of the two men were eventually recovered on 16 February.