Ashbab witnessed the killing of his two brothers — Nawab and Shahid — during the riots and earlier, had also been threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw his case, police said.
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Muzaffarnagar: A man, who witnessed the killing of his two brothers during the Muzaffarnagar riots, was shot dead in Khatoli, police said on Wednesday.
The communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas in August and September 2013 had claimed more than 60 lives while over 40,000 people were displaced.
Ashbab (also called Ashfaq in other news reports,) a witness in the case, was shot dead in Khatoli on Monday, Circle Officer Ashish Kumar said.
Eight people are facing trial for allegedly killing Ashfaq’s brothers and the next hearing was scheduled for March 25.
Ashfaq was delivering milk to a shop when two armed assailants on a bike shot him multiple times. Police are examining CCTV footage to identify the shooter, Kumar said.
He had witnessed the killing of his two brothers — Nawab and Shahid — during the riots and earlier, had also been threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw his case, police said.
Reportedly, Ashfaq had also sought police protection following the threats.
In a report by The Indian Express, according to Jitendra Tyagi, the government counsel, his family had not sought protection. “Due to the vacation of the court after announcing the quantum of punishment for the seven accused of allegedly causing the riots, the trial, in this case, had not begun. Ashbab had given a preliminary statement in which he named six people from Mathedi village,” he said.
Ashbab’s family alleged the accused had threatened him after he named them. “They are influential people and had come to our house, claiming that they will have their ‘own sense of justice’. We were scared but we had to pursue the case. And he was killed only a few days later. We left our own village, Khedi, since things were never the same after the violence. The accused took two brothers away from us. And now my husband. We are shattered,” said Meena, Ashbab’s wife, in the report.
Meena has now sought protection for her three sons. “Two police officers have been sitting outside our house. They should have come the day he went to court. We have three sons between the ages of three and 10. I fear the men will come for them too,” she said.
Ashbab’s father Akhtar, 65, in a report by Times of India, said that the riots are still on for him. “We used to live in Kheri Tagaan village near Mansoorpur town of Muzaffarnagar. We fled after the riots, leaving everything behind. During the riots, two of my sons — Nawab and Shaheed — were murdered and Ashbab was a witness to that. He was under constant threat,” he said.
After a brief pause, Akhtar added, “For me, the riots are still on. When asked about the motive, he said, “We have no enmity with anyone. We suspect that this murder is connected to the ongoing trial. They killed my two sons and wanted to compromise. Ashbab never agreed to it,” he said in the report.
Police have already filed a chargesheet in the case. However, all the six accused were freed on bail during the course of the trial.