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Haryana: Body Of Baby Exhumed To Probe Charge Of Rajasthan Police's Assault During Lynchings Investigation

The family of an accused in the alleged Rajasthan lynchings case has said the Rajasthan Police assaulted them, causing the accused's pregnant wife to deliver a stillborn child.

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Haryana authorities on Sunday exhumed the body of a stillborn baby and sent it for autopsy to establish the cause of death. The development is related to the alleged lynchings of two Muslim men of Rajasthan's Bharatpur. 

It's alleged that Rajasthan Police during investigation into the deaths of Junaid and Nasir of Ghatmika village of Bharatpur assaulted the family members of an accused. The assault on the accused's pregnant wife caused the stillborn birth, according to the family.

What's the case about?

Charred bodies of two men identified as Nasir and Junaid of Ghatmika village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur were found in Haryana's Bhiwani last week. 

The families of Nasir and Junaid of Ghatmika had lodged a complaint with the police a day before the recovery of bodies over their disappearance. The families allege the two were abducted and burnt to death. 

There are five accused in the case, identified as Monu Manesar, Anil, Shrikant, Rinku Saini, and Lokesh Singla. All of them are Bajrang Dal members.

Of the five accused, Rinku has been arrested and is in Rajasthan Police's remand, the other four are on the run.

Thirty-one-year-old Mohammad Jabir, a relative of both Junaid and Nasir, held Monu as being responsible for the deaths. Monu is a Bajrang Dal member and a prominent cow vigilante in Haryana.

Jabir said, “Why are the police not arresting the accused? If Monu Manesar, a member of Bajrang Dal, is named in the FIR, why are the police not arresting him?” 

Junaid's relative Ismail said the family learnt from the police in Ferozpur Jhirka in Haryana’s Nuh district about the abduction. Later the charred remains were found in Bhiwani’s Loharu area. 

What's Haryana Police probing? 

The family of accused Shrikant has alleged that Rajasthan Police assaulted them that also caused Shrikant' pregnant wife to deliver a stillborn baby. The Rajasthan Police has denied the allegation.

Dulari Devi, Shrikant's mother, in her complaint had also alleged that the police forcibly took away her two other sons.

The stillborn baby's mortal remains were exhumed in the presence of police and family members.

"We have exhumed the body of a stillborn baby today and kept it in the mortuary. Postmortem will be conducted by Monday by a board of doctors," Varun Singla, Superintendent of Police of Nuh, told PTI.

Earlier, Bharatpur SP Shyam Singh had claimed that Rajasthan and Haryana police personnel had indeed gone to Shrikant's home, but they never entered it.

"The accused was not present. His two brothers had come out of home and they were freed after questioning. The allegations levelled by the woman are false. Their family member is accused that is why they levelling allegations," he said earlier.

(With PTI inputs)