Alwar killing: Minister says not enough manpower to prevent every incident

Our Correspondent 

Jaipur, November 13

Reacting on the alleged murder of one Umar of Bharatpur district, who was found dead at Govindgarh on November 10, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Monday said the state police do not have enough manpower to pre-empt every situation and control such incidents well in time. 

According to Alwar Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Prakash, two people have been detained and are being interrogated.

Alleging the role of cow vigilantes, a dozen NGOs have demanded that the probe be shifted from the Alwar police to an independent agency or an SIT be formed under the IGP.

In a jointly signed memorandum to the chief minister, the NGOs, including PUCL, MKSS, NFIW and BGVS, alleged that when Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was in Alwar campaigning for the Lok Sabha bypoll (not yet announced) the ghastly murder of Umar Mohammed was taking place near Govindgarh in Alwar district.

“Umar, a dairy farmer, was returning from Ramgarh with a few cows. His pick-up vehicle was stopped and the tyre was punctured and then attacked by gaurakshaks. Facts show that the police of Ramgarh was equally involved and the vigilantes tried to destroy evidence by throwing his body on the railway track. 

“The present state of his body shows the brutality that the police and the so called gaurakshaks can indulge in. One Tahir, who is critical and being treated in a hospital, is an eyewitness to the whole thing,” the NGOs said.

They claimed that there were four such killings in past two years in Rajasthan, including Pehlu Khan in Behror, Abdul Gaffar Querishi in Birloka, Zafar Khan in Pratapgarh and Bhagatram Meena in Neem Ka Thana. 

The NGOs demanded the arrest of one Rakesh, who was named by Tahir. They also demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh, land to the family and job to the deceased’s kin. 

The NGOs demanded that SHO Ramgarh be dismissed and the SP Alwar be suspended for failing to prevent this incident.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem of Umar was now being done at SMS Hospital here as family members and relatives met the DGP.

Police have detained one person and are interrogating him in Govindgarh. The probe is handed over to the CO Alwar South Anil Beniwal.

Police would probe two cases lodged with the Govindgarh police station, one under the Rajasthan Bovine Act for illegal smuggling of cows, and the alleged murder of Umar, Beniwal told The Tribune.

Umar, 33, belonging to the Meo Muslim community, who was carrying six bovines in a pick-up vehicle, was found murdered in Govindgarh area of Alwar district on November 10/11.

He was a resident of Ghatmika village in Bharatpur district. His body was identified by his kin on Saturday night.