Jayant Sinha defends his action of greeting convicts
Union minister Jayant Sinha on Saturday justified felicitating eight convicted cow vigilantes at his residence on the outskirts of Hazaribag, stating that he was merely ‘honouring the due process of law’ by doing so.
The Hazaribag MP clarified his position saying that the high court has suspended the sentence of the accused and released them on bail while admitting their case. The case will once again be re-heard.
“I have repeatedly expressed my misgivings about the fasttrack court’s judgement sentencing each accused to life imprisonment. I am pleased that the honourable high court will hear the matter as a statutory court of appeal to test the correctness of the fast-track court order,” said Sinha in a series of tweets.
He added, “I have full faith in our judicial system and the rule of law. Unfortunately, irresponsible statements are being made about my actions when all that I am doing is honouring the due process of law. Those that are innocent will be spared and the guilty will be appropriately punished.”
Questioning police investigation, Sinha had earlier demanded CBI probe into the matter and also extended financial assistance to the accused to pursue their legal wrangle.
Sinha had on Thursday welcomed the eight cow vigilantes, convicted for lynching a Muslim meat trader in Ramgarh. After their release from jail, the convicts went to Sinha’s residence to meet him. The move invoked criticism from the opposition parties.
“It has been a trend for BJP
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leaders to support rape victims and murderers and blatantly speak against the judiciary. Their way of spreading social disharmony and supporting criminals is the new model of vikas,” said JMM working president and leader of opposition in Jharkhand, Hemant Soren.
“Jayant Sinha is supposed to be among most educated minister in the PM Modi’s cabinet, yet he is even openly supporting those who killed innocent people for no reason. Do they have no work except playing politics on dead bodies and dividing society?” said Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar.
The Jharkhand high court on June 29 had granted bail to eight convicted cow vigilantes out of 11, including a BJP leader, serving life imprisonment in Hazaribag central jail for lynching a 55-year- old Muslim trader Alimuddin alias Asgar Ali, accused of transporting beef in his vehicle last year.
A special fast track court in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, in a record six-month time, on March 16 had convicted 11 accused and five days later sentenced them to life imprisonment. The court had held guilty all the accused under Section 302 (murder) and other offences of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A mob of over 100 people– including Bajrang Dal activists– lynched Alimuddin at Bazartand in Ramgarh on June 29 last year.
A month ago another BJP parliamentarian from Jharkhand Nishi Kant Dubey also expressed that he would provide free legal aid to the arrested cow vigilantes who had lynched two Muslims in Godda district.