Rihai Manch has said that the very decision of the Samajwadi Party to challenge the acquittal of 16 policemen in the High Court of Delhi is yet another attempt to mislead people. It has repeatedly asked that if the party is really willing to seek justice in the Hashimpura massacre case, it should order an inquiry by SIT under the supervision of the Supreme Court because the army after pulling out Muslim youth from the lane had handed them over to the PAC and the role of the army has been completely ignored.
Mohammad Shoeb, President of Rihai Manch, alleged that the role played by the successive governments in UP has not only weakened the case but in the process efforts were also made to wipe out evidence. It is therefore necessary that the officials involved in shielding the culprits be investigated by the SIT.
Shoeb also said that when the trial court acquitted all the policemen, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was in Meerut and in the absence of any statement from his side it was clear that he was not willing to be seen on the side of the victims. It is hereby important to remind that the party by not making the inquiry reports of the Hashimpura, Maliana, and Moradabad riots public has ignored the question of justice in these cases and the people will also forget the party accordingly.
Rajiv Yadav of Rihai Manch said that only 29 policemen figured in the Hashimpura case while the roles of army and local administration were completely ignored. He reminded that Major Satish Chandra Kaushik along with two other army officers Major B.S. Pathania and Colonel P.P. Singh in the name of search operation dragged out Muslim youth and handed them over to PAC. And thereafter, they were taken in trucks, killed and thrown into the Gang river.
“Senior Photographer Praveen Jain’s photographs of that time are present in the court as evidence. The photographs clearly show how these Muslims were asked to march with their hands up at gunpoint. What more is required to prove that they were taken away by the police and ultimately got killed thereafter? No search warrant was issued in Hashimpura nor was any record kept of their arrest. CID in its report sent to PMO concealed the role of army officers. Even after repeated summons and notices sent to Defence Ministry in 2013, Major Pathania did not even appear in the court. Many questions that could have turned out to be crucial links in the case were buried by the state investigating agencies,” Yadav alleged.
Rihai Manch said that beaten agents like Zafarayab Jilani, who had termed the killing of Maulana Khalid as death will not be permitted to kill the chance of justice in the Hashimpura case. Now, Rihai Manch will try to ensure that justice is delivered to the victims and the fight for justice will further be expedited at all levels.