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Cops had info, but failed to stop murders
THERE ARE two big similarites in the murder cases of BSP MLA Raju Pal and railway contractor Nanhe Khan. One: Police had information about both the murders, but they allegedly did everything possible to botch up the cases by removing evidence and allowing the killers a free hand. Police allegedly even knew the would-be killers and their movements, yet they chose to remain mute spectators.
THERE ARE two big similarites in the murder cases of BSP MLA Raju Pal and railway contractor Nanhe Khan. One: Police had information about both the murders, but they allegedly did everything possible to botch up the cases by removing evidence and allowing the killers a free hand. Police allegedly even knew the would-be killers and their movements, yet they chose to remain mute spectators.
Two: SP MP Atique Ahmad’s name figured in both the murders. The only difference being in Raju Pal’s case, his name figured under section 120 B, while in the case of Nanhe Khan Atique’s name has been linked indirectly. In this case, his cousin Hamza is an accused.
Raju Pal had been crying hoarse and running from pillar to post to save his life from Atique and his brother Ashraf. He made a written complaint against Ashraf and his brother after an attack on him on December 28,2004. But, instead of taking action, cops went to the extent of removing the name of Ashraf from the FIR within 24 hours. Police confiscated the weapons of close associates of Raju on flimsy grounds to render him unarmed.
Raju was killed on January 25, 2005, along with two of his gunners. A woman Rukhsana was critically injured in the shootout in which an AK-47 and automatic weapons were allegedly used.
Police, however, later put Ahsraf’s name back in the FIR after Pal’s wife sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in ordering a CBI probe. The case is still pending.
On their part, Atique and company allegedly did everything to terrorise the witnesses in the lower court at a time when discussions were going on in Parliament for certain changes in the CrPC which included protection to the witnesses and stringent punishment for perjury. Undeterred, Atique’s men allegedly terrorised one witness after the other in the lower court here. As a result, those who had come well prepared to speak their mind, turned hostile. Later, the SC stayed the lower court proceedings.
In the Nanhe Khan murder case of August 5, the victim had sent fax messages to police officers, including the SSP, fearing death at the hands of Hamza, who had allegedly been demanding goonda tax amounting to more than Rs 15 lakh. But, cops again chose not to act. If Nanhe’s brother is to be believed, the pistol of the victim had been confiscated by the police two days before his murder on flimsy grounds, rendering him unarmed like Raju Pal. Nobody could have killed him had he been armed, said the victim’s brother. The victim’s younger brother lost no time in lodging FIRs against two contractors Brajesh Agrawal and Idris aka Dabboo, Atique’s cousin Hamza and his two body guards Mannu and Sohrab.
wo other unidentified persons were named in the FIR, taking the total to seven accused. CO Rajeshwar Singh had earlier said that there were differences between both the railway contractors named in the FIR and the victim over a Rs 2-crore contract. Nanhe had bagged the contract. Hamza was roped in by the two contractors in their fight against Nanhe Khan.
Idris, police claimed, was nabbed from his Civil Lines residence on Thursday. Inspector of the area Amar Singh informed HT that Idris was nabbed by him . However, the next moment he added that Idris denied having anything to do with the murder.
On Saturday, a senior police officer told HT that Mannu and Sohrab had been dispatched to a police station by their mentors to offer arrest in this case. The two accused reportedly told police that they had killed Nanhe Khan over a land dispute. The gameplan of some police officers in this city was to get the name of Hamza expunged from the FIR. After accepting their complicity in the murder, the two accused Mannu and Sohrab would backtrack on the version to the police in court, he pointed out.
Interestingly, police said, they recovered a country made rifle used in the murder from the possession of Sohrab even when it was well known that the killers had used a factory made rifle. The country rifle takes quite some time to reload before it can be fired again.
The killers had fired several rounds, which can only happen when a proper gun is used. This clearly proves that the police connived with the killers to change the weapon in order to help them in their acquittal.
The Maruti, used by the killers, is yet to be seized. The police are yet to seek the help of ballistic and forensic experts. They have not even felt it necessary to have the printout of the mobile call details of all the accused.