Salaheri (Mewat): Talim (23) a driver who took up contract jobs, was killed in an encounter by the Police alleging that he along with other members were smuggling cows in a mini truck. The police say that they fired at Talim in retaliation to the attack.
At Aravali police station, where the family arrived, Talim’s elder brother Abid, a fruit-seller in Nuh market, said they were asked to sign a statement that Talim was involved in cow slaughter and he further said that the cops also asked them to take the body without an autopsy. “But we won’t accept the body before the postmortem.”
Talim’s family says that he did not know how to use a gun, and he did not possess any Gun.
Deen Mohammad, Talim’s uncle said that, Talim was driving the mini truck. “He left home on Wednesday night after eating rotis with us.”
“Next morning, when he didn’t return, we called his phone.”
Deen Mohammad also added that “Talim had no criminal record. He lived by driving vehicles.”
Haji Issac, a neighbor of Talim asked that “If police claim shots were fired at them, and they fired only in retaliation, were any of them (cops) injured?”
The villagers also claim that several Mewat youths have been killed in a similar fashion. Maulvi Syed says that “They give excuses of robbery and cow slaughter to shoot us. Where is justice? Each house here has 15-20 cows. Even Talim’s father and uncles are farmers. Animal farming is our profession for decades.”
“Police said they were fired upon by seven men. Where are the rest? Didn’t anyone else get injured?” said Deen Mohammad.
Abid says that “He was clearly shot from close range. It appears like murder.”
The family demanded compensation for Shahroona, Talim’s wife, and his children, 3-year-old Ahsan and 3-month-old Faizan.
Talim’s father said that “My son didn’t know how to use a gun.”