Jaipur/Bharatpur: Apart from nine people whose names have been released by Rajasthan Police in the alleged murder of two Muslim men from Bharatpur in Haryana’s Bhiwani district last week, more than a dozen others are under scanner for their possible role in the case, a police officer said on Thursday.
“There are more than a dozen people whose names have cropped up through various sources during the course of investigation. These are all confidential sources,” inspector general of police (IGP) (Bharatpur range) Gaurav Srivastav said.
The IGP said the names of the latest suspects will be released once there is sufficient evidence against them. “The ongoing probe will be affected if the names are released beforehand. The investigation is going on in a scientific and impartial manner,” he said.
The charred bodies of the two men – Junaid (35) and Nasir (27) – who were cousins, were found inside a vehicle in Haryana’s Bhiwani district on February 16. The families of the deceased said they were kidnapped, beaten and murdered by members of the Bajrang Dal – a claim rejected by the outfit.
Rajasthan Police said that an investigation into the case pointed out that cow vigilantism was the reason behind the alleged murder. Rinku Saini (32), a taxi driver from Firojpur Zirka in Nuh district of Haryana, was arrested on February 17.
The list of eight suspects released by police on Thursday did not include the name of Mohit Yadav or Monu Manesar, a popular Bajrang Dal leader in Haryana’s Manesar district who was originally named in the FIR.
Monu Manesar is one of the faces of cow vigilantism in Haryana. He has denied his involvement in the case. In a video released shortly after the incident, he condemned the killing and said his team was not involved. Two “Hindu Mahapanchayats” were held in Haryana this week in support of him.
While Manesar, and four other men – Anil, Srikant Pandit, Rinku Saini, and Lokesh Singhla – were named in the FIR registered in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur on February 15, a senior officer on Thursday said: “…we have not named him (Monu) among the nine, but he is still being treated as a suspect.”
The IGP said Monu Manesar and Lokesh Singhla “continue to remain under police radar”.
Rajasthan Police officials said all nine men were involved with “gau raksha” groups in Haryana.
Investigators alleged the nine accused allegedly accosted, kidnapped and assaulted Junaid and Nasir on February 15, and took them to at least two police stations in Firozpur Jhirka but were turned away by personnel there. The Haryana Police said they are investigating the claims.