Image Courtesy: thewire.in
Two men affiliated to Hindutva supremacist outfits are among the six who have been arrested in Patna for the murder of Amir Hanzla (18), who had participated in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) protest on December 21, 2019 called by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD), where Hanzla was seen with a tricolor in his hand.
Hanzla worked at a bag stitching unit in the Phulwari Sharif area and his body was found ten days later on December 31, 2019. The Indian Express reported the police as saying that Nagesh Samrat (23) of the Hindu Putra Sangathan and Vikas Kumar (21) of the Hindu Samaj Sangathan had been charged in the case of Hanzla’s murder.The others arrested in the Hanzla murder case were Deepak Mahto, Chhotu Mahto, Sanoj Mahto alias Dhelwa and Rais Paswan, who were described as ‘known criminals’ and from whom the location of Hanzla’s body was discovered.
Rafiqur Rahman, in-charge, Phulwari Sharif police station, told The Indian Express, “Our investigation shows that Amir Hanzla tried to leave the spot after police used force to disperse a violent mob. Amir was then held by some boys in the Sangat Gali area. The post-mortem report shows that bricks and other blunt objects were used to kill him. There were head injuries and marks of two cuts on the body. A lot of blood had deposited in the abdominal area suggesting internal bleeding.”
“He had left for work on his bicycle on December 21. But his unit was shut because of the bandh, and he joined the RJD protest march. Video footage shows him carrying the Tricolor. His family last spoke to him at 11:45 A.M. and his final location before his mobile was switched off was near the Phulwari Sharif block office. It was from this area that his highly decomposed body was found,” he added.
Rahman said that Nagesh and Vikas were the “main instigators” behind the communal tension that took place during the protests on December 21, 2019 and informed that the charges filed against them also included those of criminal conspiracy. A video shows Kumar accusing the police of “torturing Hindus” and calling for “all Hindu sons” to “come to Phulwari Sharif”. Another video shows Samrat declaring himself to be the “son of a Hindu” and that he has “reached Phulwari”.
https://twitter.com/its_tassu/
Here is the pic of AMIR HANZLA who is murdered in BIHAR.#CAAProtests #IndiaDoesSupportCAA pic.twitter.com/PjJtOnP4Ri
— Tassawoor alam(t@ssu)?? عالم تصور (@its_tassu) January 3, 2020
Saying that the police had a strong case against the boys, Rahman said, “We will question the top functionaries of these two organisations. There has been a trend of such groups mobilising crowds from outside. These two boys are not from Patna. There had been similar mobilisation of crowds during communal tension three years ago. We are gathering more corroborative evidence.”
Hanzla’s father Sohail Ahmed who had lodged a missing persons complaint for his son on the night of December 21, spoke to the publication saying it was the first time that he had taken part in any protest. “What was his fault? He was holding a Tricolour,” said Ahmed, who is associated with Tablighi Jamaat, a socio-cultural body.
Mohammed Imran Bukhari, Chairman, All India Muslim Council told the paper, “Such is the rancour among such fringe groups that they write Phulwari Shri in place of Phulwari Sharif. Everyone knows Sangat Gali is the hub of activities of such Hindu organizations. Unless the main conspirators are arrested, nothing would happen.”
The selective killing of Amir Hanzla is just another example of the majoritarian prejudice wrapped in the garb of patriotism. Amir’s body was laid to rest at Chitkohra Qabristan in Patna.
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