Yogi Adityanath: ‘Brothers killed in 2013 immoral, not linked to Muzaffarnagar riots’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Stating that police investigation has found that two brothers – Nawab and Shahid – allegedly killed during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots were “durachari” (vicious), “badchalan”, and “charitraheen” (immoral and characterless), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has informed the Assembly that the probe has made it clear that their murders has nothing to do with the riots.

Adityanath stated this in a written reply to a question from Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki on security of witnesses in Muzaffarnagar riots case, and punishment for the guilty in the murder of a man who was witness to the siblings’ killings, allegedly during the riots.

Solanki had referred to the recent murder of one Asbab, who was witness and complainant in the 2013 twin-murders, and asked the government whether it has any scheme to provide security to other witnesses or punish the guilty.

Asbab was shot in an area under Khatauli police station, in Muzaffarnagar district, on March 11 this year. A case was registered against unidentified people.

READ | Eyewitness to murder of his brothers shot dead

In his written reply to the House on Tuesday, Adityanath stated that according to the report of Muzaffarnagar’s Senior Superintendent of Police, on September 9, 2014, Wahab, alias Asbab, of Kheri Tagan village under Mansurpur police station of Muzaffarnagar, had registered a case with Ratanpuri police in the district about murder of Nawab and Shahid. Since the crime was committed in an area under Mansurpur police station, the case was shifted there. An FIR was registered under different IPC sections, the House was informed.

It emerged during the probe that Nawab and Shahid sold milk by going house to house in the village, the reply stated. The probe also found that “Nawab badchalan wa charitraheen kism ka vyakti thha (was an immoral and characterless person)”, Adityanath stated in the written reply.

The reply cited the name of the wife of a villager with whom Nawab allegedly had an affair.

The reply stated that according to police investigation, those accused of killing Nawab and Shahid had confessed to the crime and helped police recover the murder weapons. The charge-sheet in the case was filed in court on February 25, 2014.

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“It is thus clear that the above incident has nothing to do with Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013,” Adityanath’s reply stated, adding that effective action is being taken to punish the guilty.

In the case of Asbab’s murder in March this year, the Chief Minister’s reply stated that the investigation reports that seven people have been arrested, and five others have surrendered before the court. The chargesheet in the case was filed before court on June 26, the reply mentioned.

It also informed that Asbab’s statement was already recorded before the court on October 18, 2018 and police station in-charges concerned, as well as local inspector and local intelligence units, have been instructed to ensure security of other witnesses.

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