₹2 lakh for info on Junaid’s killer
BALLABHGARH LYNCHING Haryana police unable to trace accused; mahapanchayat held in Khambi to seek release of five arrested youths
The Haryana police, which are still on the lookout for the person who allegedly stabbed Junaid and injured his brothers on a Mathurabound train, has now increased the reward money to ₹2 lakh for any person who provides any information about the killer.
Earlier, a reward of ₹1 lakh was announced requesting people who were on the train on that day, to share photos or video that may help identify the killer. No one has come forward yet.
The 16-year-old boy was killed on a local train on June 22 while he and his brothers were on their way back home to Haryana’s Ballabhgarh after Eid shopping at Sadar Bazar.
The police said that they are still “looking for clues”.
“We have been working to trace the man who stabbed the brothers but we are not getting any clue. We got his sketch made, but it is getting difficult to trace him. We urge the people who may have been on the train to help us identify him,” superintendent of police, Government Railway Police, Kamaldeep Goyal said.
“We also promise to keep their identity a secret so that they do not feel threatened,” he added.
It was only five days after the incident that the police raided Asaoti village, where the brothers were finally thrown off the train. The DVRs from the CCTVs installed in the area were also accessed. The questioning of the tea stall owners and vendors in the station area, however, did not yield any result. The police still seems to be “scanning” the CCTV footage from the area.
Sources said that they suspect that the man who killed Junaid is from either Palwal or Asaoti, but is not traceable since he may have gone in hiding.
“He knows that we have been looking for him so he may have gone underground,” a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, a Mahapanchayat organised by Khambi village in Palwal district threatened to hold an agitation if the youths arrested in connection with the Junaid’s stabbing case were not released.
Five persons have been arrested in the case so far, however, none of them reportedly stabbed Junaid and his brothers.
“We held Mahapanchayat on Sunday in which a committee of 60 persons was constituted to decide the course of action,” said Nityanand Sharma, who was chosen to head to this committee. He is the son of former home minister of Haryana.
“We condemn police atrocities on the innocent youth and also the killing of Junaid in the train. We want the investigating agencies to arrest the real culprit and release innocent youth immediately,” Sharma said.
The committee on Monday submitted a memorandum, addressed to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal and Palwal’s deputy commissioner. It said that the incident was an incident which was being given communal colour due to which the police acted under pressure.