Ballabhgarh Lynching: Junaid's Family Being 'Pressurised' to Withdraw Cases and Reach 'Compromise' to ‘Maintain Harmony’

Even as four of the six accused are out on bail, pressure is allegedly being mounted on Junaid’s family by sympathisers of the accused including influential locals to withdraw cases and reach a compromise to “maintain communal harmony”.

In an incident that shocked the country, the 16-year-old Junaid, a resident of Khandawali village in Faridabad district of Haryana, was stabbed to death by a mob in a Delhi-Mathura local train in June this year. The lynch mob had reportedly used communal and abusive language before the physical assault.

Two mahapanchayats have recently been held in Junaid’s village that concluded that the killing was “not intentional”. The gatherings were attended by many “outsiders” according to locals. Those who attended the marathon mahapanchayats, while expressing their sympathy with Junaid’s family, were of the view that the June 22 incident in the EMU train was “just an accident” which took place following a “fight over a seat”.

The organisers had allegedly invited the sarpanch (village chief) and few other influential people from Junaid’s village who reportedly met the victim’s father at different occasions to persuade him to withdraw cases and reach a compromise to ensure that the brotherhood and communal harmony is maintained.

“Few people, including our sarpanch, after attending mahapanchayats held on October 15 and 17 in our village, recently met my father (Jalaluddin) to convince him to withdraw all cases and reach a compromise so that bhai chara bana rahe (brotherhood remains intact),” Shakir one of the elder brothers of Junaid’s, who had also suffered injuries in the attack, told NewsClick.

However, he said the proposed compromise formula was outrightly rejected by them. “We told them that whatever the court decides will be acceptable to us. There is no question of compromise and withdrawing cases. We have lost our young brother and we demand justice. The culprits must be punished in the larger interest of justice and to create deterrence against hate crimes and mob violence,” he said.

He alleged they are being offered money as well to do so. “We were also offered money, which we rejected to accept. Paise se mera bhai to wapas nahin aa jayega (The money cannot return our brother),” he added.

Asked whether they approached the police and lodged a complaint in this regard, Shakir said his father spoke to Faridabad Commissioner of Police Hanif Qureshi, who “asked the authorities concerned to look into the matter”.

“The SHO (station house officer) of our police station met us and asked us not to get cowed down. He also met those who had come to us and warned them of legal action if they tried to influence or threaten us,” he added.

Technically, the victim’s family cannot withdraw the cases as the state is pursuing the matter against the accused. But attempts can be made to persuade the prime witness - who is Junaid's brother Hashim - to turn hostile so that the case can be subverted.

Cops Trying to Derail the Case?

The Haryana Railway Police has already withdrawn charges of rioting, unlawful assembly and common intention against four of the six accused in the charge sheet after arresting Naresh Kumar, who had allegedly stabbed Junaib when the train reached Ballabgarh railway station, from Dhule in Maharashtra. Two other accused in the case still remain unidentified.

The police took the plea that the charges were dropped based on the disclosure reports of the accused. The police filed a charge sheet on August 23 omitting the charges of rioting, unlawful assembly and common intention.

Investigation Goes ‘Off Track’

Junaid and his another brother Hasib, along with their two friends, were returning home to Khandawali village in Faridabad in a local train after shopping for Eid at Sadar Bazar in Delhi when they got into an altercation with a few passengers. The altercation turned violent when a group of 10-20 men stabbed Junaid to death and injured his brother.

The Haryana Railway Police investigated the case and filed a charge sheet.

Ramesh, a resident of Jodhpur village in Palwal district, was arrested on June 23 – a day after the incident. The police claimed that he was the prime accused in the case. He was granted bail on August 18.  Prime accused Naresh (27), who belongs to Bhamrola village in Palwal district, was taken into custody on July 8 from Dhule in Maharashtra. Chander Prakash (25), an accountant at a factory in Ballabgarh, was granted bail on July 27 - a month after he was arrested. Gaurav and Pradeep were let off on bail on August 2.

The victim’s lawyer Nibrash Ahmed has alleged that the “police were acting under pressure” and had withdrawn the charges to help the accused, a charge that has been denied by Faridabad Railway Police. “It is an attempt to derail the case,” he earlier told The Hindu.

He argued that Chander, Gaurav, Pradeep and Rameshwar belonged to the same village and were involved in an argument with Junaid and his brothers and were, therefore, part of unlawful assembly.

Ahmed alleged that the four men held Junaid while Naresh stabbed him, proving common intention in the case.

However, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Faridabad Railway Police) Mohinder Singh denied all charges of acting under any pressure and contended, while talking to NewsClick, that “the police had carried out a free and fair probe in the case”.

Family Feels Threatened

Following the rejection of the alleged proposal of compromise, Junaid’s father and brother Hashim are feeling threatened to step out of the village fearing an “attack from the accused side”.

Hashim is a key witness in the case and it was on the basis of his identification that the four accused were finally arrested.

“We feel threatened. We should be given security as those arrested are from nearby village. We want police protection,” said Hashim.

“Though the main accused who stabbed Junaid is behind bars, the four accused who were involved in beating and inciting violence against us have been let off. They are enjoying support of the villagers. Therefore, we fear attack on us,” he added.

Jalaluddin said he lost one of his sons, but the government should ensure that such a incident is not repeated in the future.