Have no faith in Himachal Police….will fight till SC for justice: Wife of slain RTI activist

Hemlata said Jindan was attacked last March by the same people who are behind his murder. “My nephew, Suresh, who is also a witness in the murder case, told the police that the accused crushed him because they wanted to make sure this time he was dead,” she said.

Those Jindan he had been exposing through information obtained under RTI have now been alleging that he was a blackmailer. Asked about the allegations, Hemlata said. “He was a messiah of poor. He wanted the BPL families to get grants. He was telling me he would expose more people. If he was blackmailing then why would we be so penniless?”

Hemlata married Jindan 15 years ago. She said the “love marriage” created shock waves in her community, but refused to share more details about it. “He was a hard working man. He ran a coaching centre. Then he studied law and became a lawyer. Only 15 days ago, he had got a licence from Bar Council. He had said we are going to have a happy life now. But all ended with him.”

Jindan, who had once contested elections on a BSP ticket, had political ambitions. “His dream was to get elected and become a minister. He would often say he would just keep a two-room house for himself and spend all the money on the poor. This is what he did even now. He would appear in court for free for poor, and rape victims. Never charged a rupee. He would travel by bus. We do not have a single rupee in our bank account, nor a house. We have rented this for Rs 5000,” she added.

Jindan left home in Shimla to reach Paonta Sahib on September 4 to appear in a case of Anganwadi workers. He also had cases in Shillai in Sirmaur district, which is why he went to stay at his native Paab village in the district and was killed in the neighbouring village of Bakrash.

Hemlata said she learnt of the murder at 6 pm, six hours after it had taken place. A relative saw it on social media and broke the news to her. “Since then, it has been a constant fight. The Sirmaur police was not willing to send the body to Shimla. They wanted to cremate him there. It was the next day, after hours of struggle, that it was received here.” “We were not allowed to see the body. It was crushed. beyond recognition. We later saw the picture on social media. My daughters, Vanshika (14) and Dikshita (7), were shocked. Vanshika was shaking his body vigorously and telling him to get up. My daughters wake up in the middle of the night and scream.”

“… they should be hanged till death. I will fight for justice for my husband till the Supreme Court. I have no hope from the HP police. They are helping the accused,” she said.

“They reached two hours after getting the first phone call about the murder. We had to sit with the body of my husband on the Ridge throughout the night in rain on September 9. Only then Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj and local MLA Rakesh Singha came and assured us that our demands would be met.”

Hemlata has been demanding an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh, a government job for her on compassionate grounds, accommodation and free education for her daughters.