Lynching accused brags on camera, say will repeat it again

Recent mob lynching in the name of cow protection has shaken the nation and politicians are debating on the issue, rather than coming up with strong law. This boosts the over-confidence of lynchers, who claim not to step down from committing the same crime again. A recent revelation by NDTV shows the same where the lynchers accept to have committed the crime and will repeat it given an opportunity.

A team visited accused of mob lynchings in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, who are out on bail, and found out that they are extremely proud of their deed. They even said they would not hesitate to repeat the offence.

Posing as researchers doing field work on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindutva outfits, when the team visited Bajedha Khurd village in Hapur district of western Uttar Pradesh, shocking revelations were made by Qasim Qureshi’s (45) lynching accused Rakesh Sisodia. Qureshi – a meat trader – was lynched on June 18 in Hapur district and Sisodia is an accused in the case. However, he is on bail these days.

Though Sisodia in his written statement to the court had said that he was not present when the lynching happened and was no involved in the case, he accepted on camera to have committed the crime. Along with Sisodia, three others are out on bail while five are still in jail.

Speaking with the team, Sisodia claimed that in jail he accepted his deeds to the authorities. He said, reports NDTV, “Haan maine bola ki wo gaaye kaat rahe they, maine usko kaat diya… jailer ke saamne (I told the jailer that they [the victims] were slaughtering cows so I slaughtered them).”

Among other things, he said that he would repeat this if he finds someone ‘torturing’ or ‘insulting’ cows. Adding on, he said that his army is ready. Sisodia claimed, “Meri fauj tayaar hai. Koi gaaye kaate, s*** mai usko katwaa denge, s*** ko khade khade. Hazaar baar jail jaana pade jaayenge (My army is ready. If anyone slaughters a cow, we will kill them and go to jail a thousand times).”

Similarly, another accused Vipin Yadav in Alwar in Rajasthan shares same opinion. He too is on bail, along with eight others, in Pehlu Khan’s lynching case that took place in April this year. He agreed on camera that he was the one who stopped Pehlu Khan’s truck and thrashed him for more than hour with others. He also agreed that he kept the keys of Pehlu’s vehicle in his pocket and when the police arrived, he fled from the scene.

Speaking to the reporter, Vipin said, “Haan humlog 1.5 ghante tak pitate rahe … pehle 10 aadmi aaye phir 20 aadmi aaye waha karib 500 log akatrit ho gaye (We kept beating him up for 1.5 hours. First there were 10 people then the crowd swelled).”

Just for reminder: Vipin too pleaded innocence in Pehlu Khan’s lynching case and said that he has no role in the killing in front of the judiciary.