Ballabhgarh lynching: Haryana cops offer Rs2 lakh reward for info on Junaid’s killer

Haryana police unable to trace accused; mahapanchayat held in Khambi village to seek release of five arrested youths

As the Haryana police is still on the lookout for the person who allegedly stabbed Junaid and injured his brothers on a Mathura-bound train; it has now increased the reward money to Rs2 lakh for any person who provides any information about the killer.

The 16-year-old boy was killed and his three brothers were injured on a local train on June 22 while they were on their way back home to Haryana’s Ballabhgarh after Eid shopping at Sadar Bazar.(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Earlier, a reward of Rs1 lakh was announced requesting people who were on the train on that day, to share photos or recording that may help them identify the killer. No one, however, has come forward as yet.

The 16-year-old boy was killed and his three brothers were injured on a local train on June 22 while they were on their way back home to Haryana’s Ballabhgarh after Eid shopping at Sadar Bazar.

The police said that they are still “looking for clues” for a breakthrough in the case.

“We have been working to trace the man who stabbed the brothers but we are not getting any clue. We got his sketch made, but it is getting difficult to trace him. We urge the people who may have been on the train to help us identify him,” superintendent of police, Government Railway Police, Kamaldeep Goyal said.

“We also promise to keep their identity a secret so that they do not feel threatened,” he added.

It was only five days after the incident that the police raided Asaoti village, where the brothers were finally thrown off from the train. The DVRs from the CCTVs installed in the area were also accessed much later. The questioning of the tea stall owners and vendors in the station area, however, did not yield any result. The police still seems to be “scanning” the CCTV footage from the area.

“We are scanning footage secured from CCTVs installed near Asoati railway station”, Goyal said,

Sources said that they strongly suspect that the man who killed Junaid is from either Palwal or Asaoti, but is not traceable since he may have gone in hiding.

“He knows that we have been looking for him so he may have gone underground. We have sought help from our local intelligence but are unable to trace him,” a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, a Mahapanchayat organised by Khambi village in district Palwal threatened to hold an agitation if the youths arrested in connection with the Junaid’s stabbing case were not released.

Five persons have been arrested in the case so far as they were a part of the mob that allegedly thrashed the brothers. However, none of them reportedly stabbed Junaid and his brothers.

“We held Mahapanchayat of the people belonging to different castes on Sunday in which a committee of 60 prominent persons was constituted to decide the course of action,” said Nityanand Sharma, who was unanimously chosen to head to this committee. Sharma is the son of former home minister of Haryana.

“We condemn police atrocities on the innocent youth in strongest possible words. The Mahapanchayat unanimously also condemned the killing of Junaid in the train and demanded that the investigating agencies arrest the real culprit and release innocent youth immediately”, Sharma said.

The committee on Monday submitted a memorandum, addressed to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal and Palwal’s deputy commissioner. It said that the killing of Junaid was an incident which was being given communal colour due to which the police acted under pressure and tortured innocent youth of Khambi village.

“We demand immediate arrest of the real accused and release of all the innocent youth arrested in this connection,” said Jagdish Nayyar, ex-MLA who is also member of the committee.