Rinku Saini, who was arrested by the Rajasthan Police in connection with the alleged abduction and murder of two Muslim men Nasir, 25, and Junaid alias Juna, 35, has reportedly confessed to the investigators that they were taken to the Haryana Police by cow vigilantes, but the cops there refused to take their custody as their condition was serious after being badly beaten up.
A Rajasthan Police officer told news agency PTI that Saini’s claim would be verified. The Haryana Police is yet to respond to Saini’s claim.
Saini’s claim, however, matches the statement of Mohammad Jabir, a relative of the deceased, that the two were first taken to the Firozpur Jhirka police station in Haryana but the police asked the ‘gau rakshaks’ to leave.
After that, Nasir and Junaid were taken to Loharu in Haryana’s Bhiwani district where their charred bodies were found inside a Mahindra Bolero SUV, PTI reported.
Nasir and Junaid, residents of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on Wednesday and were found dead on Thursday morning.
The Rajasthan Police has booked five people in connection with the case and arrested one of them, Saini, on Friday night.
“Saini has claimed during interrogation that Junaid and Nasir were taken to Haryana Police. The claim will be verified,” inspector general of police of Bharatpur range Gaurav Srivastava told reporters.
Saini, 32, a taxi driver who is a resident of Firozpur Jhirka in Haryana’s Nuh district, was sent to a five-day day police remand on Saturday.
The Rajasthan police has claimed that cow vigilantism was the reason behind the crime and all accused are from Haryana.
“Rinku has confirmed some names from the accused named by the victim’s family in the FIR and also other new names, but not of Monu,” an official told HT.
“We are trying to verify his claims and are conducting an investigation,” said the officer, who did not wish to be named.
(With inputs from agencies)
