Ballabgarh lynching: GRP says fight over train seat led to killing, no reference to beef in complaint

The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Sunday said that there is no reference to beef in the complaint of the victims and also questioning of the accused. Addressing a press conference over the arrest which took place yesterday GRP Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kamal Dev said that the killing of 16-year-old Junaid was over fight for seat in the train and not over beef consumption.

New Delhi: Addressing a press conference over the arrest of prime accused in Ballabgarh lynching case, GRP Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kamal Dev said that the killing of 16-year-old Junaid was over fight for a seat in the train and not over beef consumption. He also said that interrogation of the main accused in the lynching was being done in Faridabad to get to the bottom of the incident. "We are interrogating him. It is an ongoing, open investigation. A final picture will emerge only after completion of the interrogation," Kamal Dev told media in Faridabad.

As per the reports of ANI, the prime accused has been sent to two days police remand by the Faridabad District and Sessions Court. The next hearing in the case will be held on July 11. 

Faridabad distinct and session court sends main accused of #Ballabhgarh train lynching to two days police remand, next hearing on July 11. — ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2017

"The accused was identified after a thorough, continuous effort over the last 15 days by our teams," Dev had said. 

The accused, aged 30 years, whose identity is not being revealed by the police quoting legal provisions, belongs to Palwal district in Haryana. He was working as a security guard in a private company in Delhi, Dev said. He added that the accused stayed at his home (in Palwal district) and went to Dhule later to someone known to him. He started working there.

The DCP said that the murder weapon, a knife, was yet to be recovered. He said the accused had admitted to the crime.

Junaid Khan was brutally beaten and stabbed to death on a local train at Ballabhgarh in Haryana last month by a group of people following an argument over seats.

The murder triggered nationwide outrage.

Junaid and cousin brothers Hasim Moin and Shakir Moin had boarded the EMU train going from Ghaziabad to Mathura after Eid shopping on June 22. The accused, along with around a dozen other persons, boarded the train at Okhla and ordered Junaid and his brothers to give them their seats. 

When they refused, they brutally beat the three and also stabbed them and dumped them at Asaoti railway station in Palwal district. The police have made five arrests earlier in this case.

Earlier in the day,  the father of Junaid Khan had reportedly demanded death penalty for the accused. Junaid's father had also urged the government bring anti-lynching law saying it was my son this time. It could be anybody's son next.

(With inputs from agencies)