Gau rakshaks held for youth’s murder, his parents ask: Who gave them right to kill?

Six ‘gau rakshaks’ have been arrested, with some of the accused allegedly Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) activists.

Gau Rakshaks, Gau Rakshaks arrested, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, Mumbai news, Maharashtra, Indian Express, current affairs

Ansari’s family at their home in in Borivali village of Maharashtra. Vijay Kumar Yadav

4 min readMumbaiJun 22, 2023 01:28 PM IST First published on: Jun 15, 2023 at 01:55 AM IST

Grief-stricken, the family of 23-year-old Lukman Ansari, who died after he was allegedly brutally assaulted with bamboo sticks and an iron rod by ‘gau rakshaks’ on June 8 in Nashik district’s Igatpuri, has demanded “strictest punishment” for the culprits. Some of the accused allegedly are Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) activists.

Lukman along with two others was returning to Padgha from Shahpur after purchasing two cows, a bullock and a calf from a woman. In Vihigaon, they were stopped allegedly by RBD activists and assaulted. One of Lukman’s associates managed to escape. However, Lukman and his other associate, his neighbour Pappu Arshad Paddi alias Atiq — were taken to Ghatandevi temple in Kasara and assaulted again, the police said. Paddi lost consciousness and when he regained his senses, Lukman was nowhere to be seen.

Later, on June 10, Lukman’s body was found in a 150-metre-deep trench in Igatpuri. The family identified him at the hospital.

“If my son had done anything wrong then it is the police’s work to investigate the matter and punish him. Who gave the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal right to punish my son,” asked Abdul Wahid Suleman Ansari, the 23-year-old’s father, sitting on a cot outside his half-kachha hut in Bawdi Mohalla, Nayi Basti, in Borivali village, Padgha. Wahid works as a ‘hamal’, while Lukman’s mother Noorjahan works as a help in multiple households. Lukman, who studied till Class 7, has four siblings and used to do petty works to feed his family. The family is poor and lives in a small house.

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“My husband was killed for no reason. He did not commit any crime. I want justice. My 18-month daughter Aayat hadn’t even started recognising her father properly and another is in my womb…. and he was killed,” said Ayesha, Lukman’s wife, who is four months pregnant.

Ayesha’s mother Savita Mhato burst into tears as she struggled to come to terms with her son-in-law’s death. “I don’t know how my daughter will survive and take care of her kids alone.”

Noorjahan said, “The Kasara police did not register our complaint and made us run from one police station to another.”

Shadab Ansari, a close relative of Lukman, said the police should take stern action against the accused. All the accused should be arrested, he demanded.

The family is also angry at Paddi, their neighbour, “who did not clearly tell them why Lukman was missing for two days”.

The police have also registered a case over illegal transportation and purchase of cow, bullock or bullock under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Animal Protection Act against Paddi and Lukman. Paddi’s sister Sameera Patel said her brother is handicapped in one hand and one leg due to polio and despite that he was assaulted mercilessly.

Activists demanded Rs 50,000: Victim

Pappu Arshad Paddi alias Atiq, the 36-year-old daily wager from Padgha, who suffered injuries in the alleged assault by ‘gau rakshaks’, told The Indian Express on Wednesday that the accused, who he alleged identified themselves as Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) activists, first tried to extort money. “They demanded Rs 50,000 from us. But, as we didn’t have money, they started beating us mercilessly with sticks and an iron rod. If we had money, they would have left us by taking the money. I told everything to the police,” he said.

A senior IPS officer also confirmed that the accused tried to extort money from the three, who were transporting animals. The accused even took them from Thane district to Nashik district, where they assaulted them again. The accused are allegedly from RBD’s Nashik district unit.

Nashik Rural SP Shahaji Umaap said that as prima facie there was no evidence pointing to extortion bid, the Section for extortion was not added in the case by the police. “But it’s an ongoing investigation. If more facts emerge then the police can accordingly add or drop sections in future,” he added. Police sources said the accused exchanged chat messages after the incident, which would be part of evidence in the case.