Bhiwadi lynching case: Clash breaks out between protesters and police

A clash broke out between police and protestors including the family of Bhiwadi lynching victim here on Sunday over the inaction of police in connection with the case here.

The family members of the victim, Harish Jatav, are agitating at a government-run hospital in Alwar district's Tapukada since the past three days with the body of Jatav's father, Ratiram, a blind man, who allegedly committed suicide on August 15 by consuming poison due to the apathy of police officials investigating his son's case.

On July 16, Harish Jatav was involved in an accident with an old woman while he was riding a bike in Mewat area of Alwar. The family members of the woman had allegedly beaten up Jatav brutally which led to his death at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

While demanding action against the accused in her husband's lynching case, Jatav's wife Rekha alleged that the police personnel harassed her father-in-law leading him to commit suicide on Thursday night.

The Dalit family continued their protest to press for their demands and refused to cremate Ratitam's body even 60 hours after his death on Sunday.

They alleged that Jatav had received serious head injuries due to the beating, which resulted in his death.

"I have four children and fifth is in my womb. I along with my children will commit suicide if the police do not take immediate action against the responsible police officials and the accused in the case," Rekha said while speaking to ANI.

The family has also demanded Rs 1 crore and five bigha land as compensation and a job for the woman.

"We will not cremate the body of my father until our demands are met even if it gets decomposed," Dinesh Jatav, Harish's brother, told ANI.

The police did not nab the accused despite repeated complaints by Harish's family, family members alleged.

A meeting between district administration, family members and local leaders did not obtain any result on Saturday as the family remained stubborn on their compensation demands.

"He (Ratiram) visited the police station several times to pleading with the police to take action against the accused but they did not take any action instead they harassed him. He also received threats from the accused asking him to withdraw the case otherwise he would lose one more son. He consumed poison as he saw no hope ahead," Dinesh said.

Local MLA Sandeep Yadav has alleged that the government is ready for an investigation into Jatav's death and also a departmental probe against police officials. The BJP leaders were misleading the family and not letting them cremate the body, Yadav claimed.

"BJP leaders are playing politics in the matter on the directions of senior party leaders. They want to portray the incident as Pehlu Khan lynching case as the accused in the case is Muslim," he told ANI.

The BSP legislator also said that the government was offering a job of an Anganwadi worker to Harish's wife.

BJP MP Mahant Balaknath, who joined the agitating family on Saturday, alleged that the police were not taking action even a month after the incident as "the accused belongs to a particular community".

Alwar Superintendent of police has said that an investigation is underway in the case.

On Sunday, more police personnel were deployed in the town.

An FIR under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered in Harish's murder case. A compensation of Rs 4,12,000 has been given to the family.

-ANI