Anger among victims’ kin after acquittal in Hashimpura case
Anger is brewing against the acquittal of 16 PAC jawans who were accused of abducting and killing 42 persons of a community at Hashimpura locality here during the fierce communal riots of 1987.
Anger is brewing against the acquittal of 16 PAC jawans who were accused of abducting and killing 42 persons of a community at Hashimpura locality here during the fierce communal riots of 1987.
The families of the victims have put up black flags on their houses and roads to express their anger against the decision of a Delhi court on Saturday.
Octogenarian Jamaluddin’s son Kamaruddin had allegedly fallen prey to PAC bullets during the massacre. “He has fallen ill after hearing the court’s decision,” said Riyajuddin, elder brother of the deceased.
For Julfikar Nasir and four others who miraculously survived even after receiving gunshots during the massacre, memories of the night of May 22, 1987, are still fresh in their minds.
The angry family members of the victims have put up the black flags to express their anger but majority of them still have hope of getting justice.
Maulana Yameen, co-ordinator of Babri Masjid Action Committee, who lost his son in the riots of 1990, came forward to take the matter to court.
After his death, his lawyer son Mohd Junaid fought his father’s battle to seek justice for the families of victims and survivors.
“We will decide the future course of action only after a thorough study of the order,” said Junaid.
Several angry youth from Hashimpura wanted to block roads to raise their voice against the decision but elders disapproved of the step.
Out of the 19 accused jawans of PAC, three died during the hearing of the case in which 161 eyewitnesses were called in court.
PAC was deployed to control violence in 1987 and some residents of Hashimpura charged a group of PAC jawans of taking away 50 persons for interrogation when they were attending a meeting outside a mosque and later shooting them.