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November 13, 2017

India: Joint memorandum from citizens groups in Rajasthan seeks arrest of cow vigilantes and policemen involved in the murder of Umar Mohammed of Bharatpur

Joint Memorandum by organisations from Rajasthan

Gandhi Circle, Jaipur

Dated : 13th November, 2017

Smt. Vasundhara Raje,
Chief Minister,
Government of Rajasthan,
Jaipur

Subject: 1. Arrest the policemen and so called Gau Rakshaks immediately in the case of the brutal murder of Umar Mohammed of Kaman Pahadi Bharatpur.
2. Withdraw the case of cow smuggling against Umar and his fellow travellers Tahir and others
3. Make a plan to stop the attack on Muslims in Rajasthan by so called Gau Rakshaks and others and in particular make a safety plan for the Meos in Alwar and Bharatpur district as they are all dairy farmers.

Dear Madam,
On 12th of November, 2017, you were in Alwar campaigning for the bye elections when the ghastly murder of Umar Mohammed by the Ramgarh thana (Alwar) police and the so called Gau Rakshaks that had taken place on 10th Nov near Govindgarh, Alwar district, was brought to light.

Umar was a resident of Ghatmatika Pahadi, near Pahadi Kaman, Bharatpur, RAJASTHAN and a dairy farmer he was returning from Ramgarh with a few cows. His pickup vehicle was stopped by means of a patta, the tyre punctured and then attacked. Facts show that the police of Ramgarh was equally involved with the Gau Rakshaks in killing Umar. What is shocking is that the police and the Gau goondas 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. But even the running over of a train/trains could not hide the exit wounds of the bullet. Tahir who is very serious and being treated in a hospital is an eye witness to the whole thing.

The murder of Umar is the complete failure of your Government in protecting Muslims in particular Dairy farmers from the killer Gaurakshaks. You may recall that in the past 4 such killings have happened in the past in 2 years. Please recall the following murders:
  • 30 may 2015, Abdul Gaffar Querishi, Birloka, Didwana tehsil, Nagaur district
  • 1st April Pehlu Khan, Behror thana, Alwar district
  • 16th June, Zafar Khan, Pratapgarh town, Pratapgarh district
  • 10th sept, Bhagtaram meena, neem ka thaana sikar district

Madam, are there any plans to call a halt to this bloody madness as now the Gau rakshaks have tasted blood and have the support of the police and administration (all pehlu khan killers were thrown out of the purview of investigation and todate zafar khans killers are roaming free). If you will not stop this now, these murders are going to be on the increase? It will be a major violation by your Government of Article 21, the right to life of the Muslims. You are supposed to protect the lives and not provide impunity to the killers.

In the Umar Mohammed context we demand :
  • the immediate transfer of investigation to an independent agency, like an SIT or under the IG.
  • Nothing short of arrest of the above including one Rakesh whose name was given by Tahir who escaped the bloody madness of the police and the Gaurakshaks.
  • Compensation including cash of 25 lakhs and land to the family. And a government job to his kin.
  • Tahir be given protection and a compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs
  • The false case of cow smuggling against Umar and Tahir be dropped immediately.
  • The Ramgarh SHO be dismissed from duty
  • The SP Alwar be suspended for failing to prevent this and then for 2 days not locating the body.
  • The Home minister give a plan for the protection of meos in Alwar and Bharatpur district.
It is our request that this be the last of such killings in Rajasthan. The impunity and protection to these killers be withdrawn now.
We are :
Kavita Srivastava (President, PUCL Rajasthan)
Anant bhatnagar (General Secretary, PUCL Rajasthan),
Nikhil Dey (MKSS)
Maulana Hanif (Vice President, PUCL),
Noor Mohammed Alwar district PUCL Secretary)
Sumitra Chopra and Kusum Saiwal, AIDWA
Nisha Sidhu, NFIW
Rashid Hussain, Welfare party, Rajasthan
Mohammed Iqbal, Jamait Islami Hind, Rajasthan
Basant Haryana, NAgirk Manch
Sawai Singh, Rajasthan Samgra Sewa Sangh
Bhanwar Meghwanshi, PUCL
Tara Chand, HRLN
Komal Srivastava, BGVS
Pappu Kumawat, PUCL
Mamta Jaitly, Vividha, Women’s Documentation and Research centre
Renuka Pamecha, WRG
Mukesh Goswami and Kamal Tak, RTI Manch
and others