New Delhi: Junaid’s family is allegedly being pressurised by the influential sympathisers of the accused, including locals, to withdraw cases and reach a compromise to “maintain brotherhood”.
The 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death on board a Delhi-Mathura local train in June this year when and he and his brother Hasib, along with their two friends, were returning home to in Khandawali village in Faridabad after shopping for Eid at Sadar Bazar in Delhi. They allegedly got into an altercation with a few passengers. The altercation turned violent when a group of 10-20 men stabbed Junaid to death and injured his brother.
Two mahapanchayats, mostly attended by people from nearby villages, have recently been held in the deceased village. It was concluded in the public meetings that the killing was “not intentional”. Those who attended the marathon mahapanchayats, while expressing their sympathy with Junaid’s family, were of the view that the June 22 incident in the EMU train was “just an accident” which took place following a “fight over a seat”.
The organisers had allegedly invited sarpanch (village chief) and few other influential people from Junaid’s village who reportedly met the victim’s father at different ocassions to pursue him to withdraw cases and reach a compromise to ensure that the brotherhood and communal harmony is maintained.
“Few influential people of our village led by sarpanch (village head) met us twice after two mahapanchayats that held here on October 15 and 17. They tried to convince us to withdraw cases. They told us what has been done can not be undone. So, it’s better to do compromise so that the brotherhood with non-Muslims residents of the nearby villages can be maintained,” Hashim, one of Junaid’s elder brothers who is an eyewitness in the case, told MuslimMirror.
However, he said the compromise formula was rejected by them. “We told them there is no question of compromise as we have lost our young brother. The culprits must be punished. We need justice and decision of the court will be acceptable to us,” he said.
He alleged they are being offered money as well to do so. “We were also offered money, which we rejected to accept. Paise se mera bhai to wapas nahin aa jayega (The money cannot return our brother),” he added.
Asked whether they approached the police and lodged a complaint in this regard, Shakir said his father spoke to Faridabad Commissioner of Police Hanif Qureshi, who “asked the authorities concerned to look into the matter”.
“The SHO (station house officer) of our police station met us and asked us not to cow down. He also met those who had come to us and warned them of legal action if they tried to influence or threaten us,” he added.
Technically, the victim’s family cannot withdraw the cases as state is pursuing the matter against the accused. But attempts can be made to pursue the prime witness – who is Junaid’s brother Hashim – to turn hostile so that the case can be subverted.
Meanwhile, four of the six accused have already granted bail. The Government Railway Police, Haryana, has also withdrawn charges of rioting, unlawful assembly and common intention against four accused after they arrested prime accused Naresh Kumar, who had allegedly stabbed Junaib when the train reached Ballabgarh railway station, from Dhule in Maharashtra. Two other accused in the case still remain unidentified.
The police took the plea that the charges were dropped based on the disclosure reports of the accused. The police filed a charge sheet on August 23 omitting the charges of rioting, unlawful assembly and common intention.
Ramesh, a resident of Jodhpur village in Palwal district, was arrested on June 23 – a day after the incident. The police claimed that he was the prime accused in the case. He was granted bail on August 18.
Prime accused Naresh (27), who belongs to Bhamrola village in Palwal district, was taken into custody on July 8 from Dhule in Maharashtra.
Chander Prakash (25), an accountant at a factory in Ballabgarh, was granted bail on July 27 – a month after he was arrested. Gaurav and Pradeep were let off on bail on August 2.
The victim’s lawyer Nibrash Ahmed has alleged that the “police were acting under pressure” and had withdrawn the charges to help the accused, a charge that has been denied by Faridabad Railway Police. “It is an attempt to derail the case,” he earlier told The Hindu.
He argued that Chander, Gaurav, Pradeep and Rameshwar belonged to the same village and were involved in an argument with Junaid and his brothers and were, therefore, part of unlawful assembly.
Ahmed alleged that the four men held Junaid while Naresh stabbed him, proving common intention in the case.
However, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Faridabad Railway Police) Mohinder Singh denied all charges of acting under any pressure and contended, while talking to the media, that “the police had carried out a free and fair probe in the case”.