The party seeks financial compensation to the family, action against the police for connivance in protecting the accused, and a court-monitored investigation
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Calling the role of the police “extremely dubious”, the Community Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said the murder of Aryan Mishra by cow vigilantes is a direct result of the Haryana government’s policy of providing legal sanction to the criminal activities of the gau rakshaks.
The CPI-M’s assertion came after a delegation, led by the party’s Polit Bureau Member and former Rajya Sabha lawmaker Brinda Karat, on Thursday visited the home of Mishra in Faridabad and met his parents. Aryan was shot dead by the cow vigilantes in the early hours of 24 August after chasing him for 30 km on the National Highway. The cow vigilantes claimed that they mistook Mishra for a Muslim smuggling cows.
In a statement, the delegation said: “The family was told by the police that the man who shot their son is a “nek aadmi” – a good man – and that their son was shot “by mistake”. What is the message being given? That they should compromise with the “nek aadmi”? Further the main accused, Anil Kaushik, the police certified “nek aadmi” is a member of the sarkar recognised gau rakshak district committee and has been in close touch with the police”.
According to the delegation, the police took Mishra’s father to the police station where the accused were lodged. The killer of his son fell at his feet and begged forgiveness saying it was a mistake.
“Again is this not a form of pressure on the family? Why did the police take the father to the thana to meet the murderer? There is a legitimate concern that the case will be manipulated and sabotaged to save the gau rakshaks. The demand is to immediately take action against the police for this blatant attempt to sabotage the case,” it said.
The delegation also questioned the role of the police describing it “extremely dubious”. “It is unthinkable that there should be a car chase on the National Highway for 30 km and there is no intervention by the highway police? Is this such a familiar happening of gau rakshaks that there is no intervention? What is the use of CCTV? Occurring just a stone’s throw from the Capital the episode shows a total absence of law and order and the law of the mob. Who is accountable?” the statement asked.
The delegation pointed out that it is an open secret that the police are in total connivance with these gangs. The statements of the police denying any knowledge that the men arrested are part of the gau rakshak gangs is evidence of the bias. “Can any independent and impartial inquiry take place? The government and police must be held accountable for this murder,” it said.
The left party also noted that the politics of protection of gau rakshaks by the BJP-RSS ecosystem is fully exposed in this case. The family has been left completely alone. They are poor and without connections. Not a single BJP functionary, let alone a leader has visited them. No government official has bothered to meet the family.
The father stated – “I heard that when a relative of one Bajrangi died, big leaders went and gave lakhs of rupees. Not a single one of them has come to see me, not even to offer condolences. Why? Because I have questioned as to who gave them a license to kill.”
According to the delegation, the distraught father was referring to the death due to burns of Mahesh, the brother of cow vigilante leader Bittu Bajrangi, in January this year. At the time, then Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the transport minister and the local MLA had visited the family.
The CPI-M demanded financial compensation to the family, a government job for Ajay Mishra, brother of Aryan, action against the police for connivance in protecting the accused, and a court-monitored investigation. The party also called for the disbanding of these “criminal gau rakshak gangs” and an end to government recognition, sanction and protection.
