Junaid killing not intentional, says mahapanchayat

FARIDABAD: Six days after Naresh Kumar, the main suspect in the Junaid stabbing case, was arrested from Maharashtra’s Dhule, a mahapanchayat held in his support in his native Bhamrola village in Palwal district on Thursday said the killing was not intentional.

Villagers while expressing their sympathy with Junaid’s family demanded a thorough probe into the incideJunaid killing not intentional, says mahapanchayat at suspect’s villagent.

The marathon Mahapanchayat tyhat started around 10 am lasted for seven hours.Villagers from different parts Haryana constituted a 51-member committee to build pressure on the government for a `fair investigation’.

“The people who attended today’s mahapanchayat at Bhamrola village were of the view that the June 22 incident in the EMU train was just an accident. They fought over a seat which led to clashes and an impression was created that the killing was intentional, which was not the case,” said Arun Zaildar Sondhe, who was chosen to head the committee.

“The mahapanchayat expressed sympathy with Junaid’s family. It was felt that the committee should visit Junaid’s family and explain that the killing was not intentional and whatever happened was the result of self defence”.

The mahapanchayat asked how “Junaid and his brothers on board the train called other members from their village, resulting in an escalation of the clashes”.

Demanding a high-level probe into the circumstances that led to the death of Junaid, the mahapanchayat’s participants said either the CBI or a special investigation team (SIT) should probe all angles.

“Naresh has suffered injuries in his body...chances are we may file a counter FIR in the case if the state government does not take our plea seriously,” one of the members in the mahapanchayat said. The committee is likely to meet on Friday and chart out the next course of action and finalize a date to meet the Haryana chief minister.

“People from 127 villages attended today’s mahapanchayat,” said Virender Sehrawat, sarpanch of Bhamrola.

MAHAPANCHYAT, HELD AT ACCUSED’S NATIVE BHAMROLA VILLAGE IN PALWAL DISTRICT, DEMANDS FAIR PROBE INTO CASE