Umar's murder in Rajasthan: Protect Meos of Alwar and Bharatpur targeted by cow vigilantes, CM urged

By Our Representative
A joint memorandum by several civil rights organizations addressed to Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has sought immediate arrest of the cops and so-called Gau Rakshaks -- cow vigilantes -- allegedly involved in the "brutal murder" of Umar Mohammed of Kaman Pahadi Bharatpur, even as withdrawal of the case of cow smuggling against Umar and his fellow travellers Tahir and others.
Asking Raje to come up with a complete plan to stop the attack on Muslims in Rajasthan by cow vigilantes and others, even as initiating a safety measures espcially "for Meos in Alwar and Bharatpur district as they are all dairy farmers", the 20 odd organizations reminded her that the "ghastly murder" took place on November 10, when she was in Alwar campaigning for bye elections.
The comes amidst Meos' refusal to take the body till FIR was lodged against the culprits who are claimed to have been identified, specifically mentioning that Umar was killed due to bullet fire and on getting crushed by train. Meos sat in protest in favour of their demands.
The letter said, "Umar was a resident of Ghatmatika Pahadi, near Pahadi Kaman, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, and a dairy farmer", and when he was "returning from Ramgarh with a few cows" his "pickup vehicle was stopped by means of a patta, the tyre punctured and then attacked."
"Facts show that the police of Ramgarh was equally involved with the Gau Rakshaks in killing Umar", the letter said, adding, "What is shocking is that the police and the Gau goondas tried to destroy evidence by throwing his body on the railway track."
Pointing out that the "present state of his body shows the brutality that the police and the so-called Gau rakshaks can indulge in", the letter said, "Even the running over of a train/trains could not hide the exit wounds of the bullet. Tahir who is very serious and being treated in a hospital is an eye witness to the whole thing."
Signed, among others, by Kavita Srivastava of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan; Nikhil Dey of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanfathan (MKSS); Sumitra Chopra of the All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA); Nisha Sidhu of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW); Mohammed Iqbal of the Jamait Islami Hind, Rajasthan; and Mukesh Goswami of the RTI Manch, the letter accused the state government of "complete failure" on the law and order front.
Umar's is the fifth murder in Rajasthan by cow vigilantes and others after the BJP took over in the state. The first murder took place on May 30 2015, of Abdul Gaffar Querishi, Birloka, Didwana tehsil, Nagaur district. On April 1 this year, Pehlu Khan was lynched to death in Behror thana, Alwar district. On June 16, Zafar Khan of Pratapgarh town was killed. And on Pratapgarh district September Bhagtaram Meena was killed in Neem Ka Thaana, Sikar district.
In the context of Umar's murder, the letter demanded immediate transfer of investigation to an independent agency, like an SIT or under the IG, adding, compensation, including cash of 25 lakhs, government job to his kin and land to the family, should be announced, and Tahir be given protection and a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
It also demanded suspension of superintendent of police, Alwar, for "failing to prevent" the incident also locating the body for two days, for 2 days not locating the body.

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