E-Paper
Kaushambi triple murder: AIKMS probe team demands judicial probe
The All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) released a report demanding a judicial probe and compensation for the murders of three dalits in Uttar Pradesh.
The All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) on Saturday released a report on the findings of its team into the murders of three dalits, including a pregnant woman, who were killed in village Mohidinpur Gaus of Kaushambi district on September 15. AIKMS demanded a judicial probe into the murders and also compensation of ₹20 lakh each for the victims, as well as government jobs for their next of kin.
An eight-member team of AIKMS visited the murder site and met the family members of the victims on three-days between September 18 and 20 to reach its conclusions, said Phulchand Nishad, general secretary, AIKMS-Kaushambi, who led the team, in a communique issued on Saturday.
Among its broad facts, the report, in Hindi, has noted that Horilal, 62, his six-month pregnant daughter, Brijkali, 22, son-in-law, Shiv Sharan, 26, were murdered while they were sleeping in front of their hut near Panda crossing, in village Mohiddinpur, in the very early hours of September 15. The incident also saw several straw huts of the accused being set on fire after the murder. The report notes that Shiv Saran had purchased a 2 biswa plot of land from one Lalchand three years back and had built a small hutment and stayed there doing well running a Jan Sewa centre nearby and also some real estate work.
“The main accused are eight rich, persons of this and neighbouring villages, including a village Pradhan. Police say there are three more suspects but has failed to name the person who is an illegal occupant of part of the land,” the report reads.
The main dispute relates to control over the highly productive agricultural land, the value of which has been greatly enhanced due to the announcement that a four-lane Ram Van Gaman Marg would run through this area (Panda crossing), the report points out.
The report reads, “these heinous murders were mainly committed to try and control the plot of land... This plot of land (0.114 ha) had been given to one Lalchand in 2009 but clear vacant possession was never given and dispute over the land was kept alive. Tehsil Chail officials are responsible for this. In the last two or three years, a dispute over control had arisen and the village Pradhan and revenue officials of the tehsil are responsible for not settling the land pattas to the village poor.”.
In several nearby villages, Umarche, Gauspur, Ujihini Khalsa Uparhar, Faridpur Chaktajpur, several such valuable lands belonging to the Gram Samaj are being manipulated by the Village Pradhans and tehsil officials and are being transferred to rich and powerful persons from outside the village. All these lands are the property of the village and should be given as residential and agricultural plots to the village poor, the report reads.
“There should be a judicial enquiry of the entire tragic event which should specially focus on the role of one Dasrath in this incident, as he is accused of forcefully occupying part of the plot and building a house on it. All persons involved in manipulation of these lands, including revenue officials, should be arrested and sent to jail,” the report demands.
On the day of the murders, the Kaushambi police had arrested two of the accused while on September 21, it had arrested six more involved in the sensational triple murders. Five days after the murders at Panda Crossing, Sandeepan Ghat police of Kaushambi district had also registered an FIR against 40 unidentified miscreants involved in ruckus, rioting and arson that took place following the incident. Social welfare minister Aseem Arun had recently visited the kin of victims of triple murders at Mohiuddinpur village of Kaushambi and provided financial aid worth ₹12.33 lakh to the next of kin under the SC/ST Welfare scheme.
