The main suspect in the Bhiwani case – in which the charred bodies of two men from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur were found in a burnt car in the Haryana district – has denied any connection with the incident, and has claimed he was in a hotel in Gurgaon at the time.
The suspect – Monu Manesar, who is one of six members of right-wing group Bajrang Dal named in the police report – also claimed he had CCTV footage to prove his innocence.
“I was in a Gurugram hotel when this incident occurred… and we have video. The two victims were unknown to me and I have no idea what happened to them. We are also investigating this issue on our end to find out the culprits,” Manesar was quoted by news agency ANI.
The bodies of Junaid (35) and Nasir (27) were found in a Mahindra Bolero on Thursday afternoon near a village on the Haryana-Rajasthan border. The two were cousins and, in an first information report lodged with police in Bharatpur, their families alleged they had been abducted and assaulted on Wednesday by members of right-wing group Bajrang Dal.
Manesar, however, has claimed that neither he nor his associates had anything to do with their deaths, and urged police to investigate and identify the ‘real perpetrators’.
“Our organisation should not be defamed by dragging it into this. Whatever claims are being spread on social media are absolutely wrong,” he said.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has condemned the incident and vowed strict action against those guilty. “The killing of two people, residents of Bharatpur’s Ghatmika, in Haryana is condemnable. Rajasthan and Haryana police are taking action in coordination. Rajasthan Police has been directed to take strict action,” Gehlot tweeted.
