Even as the police probe the brutal triple murder in Bahadurpur village, the Muzaffarnagar’s fragile peace has been threatened by claims and counter-claims surrounding attacks by “masked men” and alleged involvement of the residents of relief camps. The severely mutilated bodies of three labourers were found on Saturday night. The police who have formed six teams to nab the culprit, are yet to identify the suspects.
Meanwhile, calls on Wednesday for a mahapanchayat on October 10 to discuss the triple murder, have resurrected memories of last year’s communal riots which were triggered by the August 2013 mahapanchayat.
Meanwhile, police dismissed the reports of attacks by “masked men” as “rumours”. Residents believe that the attacks are part of a sinister design to fuel communal tension by blaming residents of relief camps.
H.N. Singh SSP Muzaffarnagar told The Hindu that the villagers claim of being attacked by masked men seem to be a result of panic and “rumor mongering”. “On Monday and Tuesday we received several calls regarding claims of being attacked by masked men. But when we did thorough combing operations, police could not find any armed man,” he said.
Rakesh Tikait, a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union said that the mahapanchayat has been called by people with “vested interests” who wanted to disturb the peace of the area.
“A view is being propagated in the region, with full intention to disturb the peace of the region, that the riot victims living in the relief camps are involved in criminal activities like the recent killings and attacks by 'masked' men,” he said.
