Gujjars, Govt spar over bodies, no fresh violence

Despite an appeal by the state government, no one turned up today to claim the bodies of 14 people, who died in police firing on Gujjar agitation at Karwady in Bharatpur district on May 23 and 24. The bodies were kept at Swai Mansingh Hospital after post-mortem.

When the agitators allowed the 14 bodies which they had in an open field at Karwady, the epicentre of the current round of Gujjar stir, for several days to be carried to Jaipur for post-mortem, it was taken as a sign of softening of the Gujjars’ stand.

Police had made a public appeal through advertisements in local papers, asking relatives to collect the bodies lying at the hospital and said that in case they were not claimed, their last rites would be performed as per law.

“We have waited for the relatives at Sawai Man Singh Hospital’s mortuary where the bodies have been kept for the last nine days in cold storage,” Superintendent of Police (Jaipur East) V K Singh said.

However, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla questioned the government appeal, saying ‘the bodies have been identified and they are our men. How can the government say that they will be declared unclaimed?’