RAMGARH: “Bajrang Dal activists killed my husband,” alleged an inconsolable Mariam Khatoon, referring to the lynching of a 45-year-old trader Alimuddin aka Ashgar Ali on suspicion of carrying beef in a Maruti van, according to Hindustan Times report.
On Thursday, a 100-strong mob dragged Alimuddin out of his van and mercilessly thrash him on the basis of rumours that he was carrying cow meat in his vehicle in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh Police Station’s Bazar Tand area.
Alimuddin died on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally condemned the growing atrocities against innocent people in the guise of cow protection, and said that killing people in the name of ‘Gau Bhakti’ is not acceptable.
Denying the police claim that Alimuddin is a meat trader, Khatton said, “He was into coal trading. He was the only earning member of the family,” she said.
Losing her life partner, the family’s breadwinner and left with six children, including three daughters, the widow of Alimuddin demanded the similar treatment for her husband’s killers.
“They deserve a similar treatment. Jail is not the place they deserve. They need to be sent to hell,” she said.
Abida Khatoon, Alimuddin’s sister-in-law blamed the police for shielding Bajrang Dal activists. ‘They are targeting and killing Muslims while police are deliberately looking the other way. We want the culprits to be produced before us. Women of our locality would decide what to do with them,” she said.
Section 144 has been imposed in the village with 350 households, mostly Muslims, following the alleged ‘beef lynching’ incident.
RK Mullik, Jharkhand Police ADG (Operations) called it a case of “pre-meditated murder”.
“This is a case of pre-meditated murder, which was made to look like an incident of lynching on the lines of a few incidents that have occurred in the state and other places. There are indications that the assailants, all of whom are from the majority community, would extort money from those allegedly involved in the trade of prohibited meat,” RK Mullik to The Indian Express.