BHOPAL: The first killing of the April 10 Ram Navami festival communal violence was reported on Monday early morning eight days after the violence.
The body was identified as that of Ibarish, more than seven days after he was brutally murdered by 7-8 unidentified men in the Kapas Mandi area near Anand Nagar mosque, where he had gone for prayers at around 7.30 pm on April 10.
His body was recovered from the Kapas Mandi-Anand Nagar area on April 10-11 intervening night, a few hours after he was brutally murdered by unidentified men. Four days later, on the family’s complaint, a missing persons complaint was lodged on April 14 morning, around 12 hours before lodging the case of murder of Ibarish (who till then remained unidentified).
It’s however surprising, as to why the police which had recovered the body on April 10-11 intervening night, didn’t get it identified by his kin, when Ibarish’s missing person complaint was lodged by them on April 14 morning.
Also, it’s still not clear why the police took more than three days to lodge the murder case after recovering the body, even after the eye witnesses had told the police about 7-8 men assaulting the unidentified man on April 10-11 intervening night.
A senior state police official, presently camping in Khargone, told The New Indian Express that the murder case was lodged on April 14, immediately after getting the final autopsy report, which established multiple injuries on head and neck inflicted by a sharp edged weapon.
The senior police official also added that the body was sent to Indore’s MY Hospital later, as Khargone Hospital didn’t have deep freezer facility.
He, however, couldn’t explain why it took the police more than a week to call the murdered man’s kin to identify the body at the hospital in Indore, particularly when the missing person report and murder case were lodged by Khargone police within a span of 12 hours on April 14 only.
Importantly, Ibarsih’s mother Mumtaz, who had been searching for missing son since 5-6 days, had said on Sunday evening that the police should tell them if he is in jail or handover his body, if he is dead.
While the local police claimed it was a case of murder by rioters, Ibarish’s brother Iqhlak, who brought the body to Khargone from Indore on Monday early morning, alleged that he was killed by police and local residents.
“My brother left home at 7.30 pm on April 10 to offer prayers at Anand Nagar mosque but didn’t return. He was killed by local residents and police brutally. He was last seen alive for sometime in police custody at the Khargone police station on April 10 evening only,” Iqhlak alleged.
A resident of Islampura locality of the communal violence hit Khargone town, Ibarish was reportedly a safai staff with local municipality. He had 10 siblings, including 5 brothers and five sisters.
He is survived by widow and toddler son. His burial will happen in Khargone on Monday morning. Meanwhile, sensing possibility of disturbances in the wake of Ibarish’s death and burial, the Khargone district administration has cancelled the 8 am to 12 noon four hours relaxation of curfew for Monday.
Curfew was imposed in Khargone town after widespread communal violence in the town, following attack on a Ram Navami procession near Talab Chowk area on April 10 evening.
Over 30 persons, including around 10 cops, among them then SP-Khargone Siddharth Chaudhary were injured in the violence.
It is well known that a house divided falls like a pack of cards, and no other party faces as many internal divisions as Congress in Karnataka. Its rivals have joked: “The biggest enemy of the Congress is the Congress itself !” There are several factions and they are led by Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, KH Muniyappa, HK Patil, BK Hariprasad and Dr G Parameshwara. The recent polls in five states left Congress unit in Karnataka demoralised as it feared that the same recurring here in the 2023 Assembly polls if they do not unitedly fight the opponents instead of fighting each other. Congress’ bungling over the Youth Congress leadership issue, torn between two groups even among the younger generation of the party — one led by Raksha Ramaiah and other by Mohammed Nalapad — brought the ugly divisions to the fore. Unless the leadership is clearly fixed and everyone remains accountable, Congress could fall apart, like in Punjab.
Less than a year away from the Assembly polls, ruling BJP has started preparations well before the rival parties. The party organisations and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai are trying to work in tandem to further increase the momentum after BJP won four out of five states. The party has clarified that there are no plans of going for early elections, nor any more changes in leadership, and has shifted gears into the poll mode. Karnataka BJP leaders, in four teams, are touring the state to galvanise workers and popularise welfare and development programmes of both state and Union governments. Party insiders feel preparations started with the change in leadership of Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa being replaced by another Lingayat Basavaraj Bommai nine months ago. Bommai initially staggered and struggled to bring some seniors on his side, and is yet to take control of the administration to bring in a clean and transparent government to enhance the party’s image.
Elections after elections, JDS is known to face the crisis of its existence and retaining its identity as a regional party to be reckoned with. Evidently, it has started all-out efforts to impress upon the people of the state, especially in the old Mysuru region. After holding a brainstorming workshop ‘Janata Parva’, also aimed at identifying the alternative candidates for those who are ready to quit the party, party supremo HD Deve Gowda sounded the poll bugle by launching the ‘Gangajala Ratha Yatra’ as part of the ‘Janata Jaladhare’ programme to showcase his contribution to the irrigation sector in the state. The 15 decorated buses with LCD screens dispatched in different directions will create awareness.
