Making a U-turn in the Tabrez Ansari lynching case after allegations of attempts to weaken the case, the Jharkhand police submitted a supplementary charge sheet on Wednesday, seeking punishment under Section 302 of the IPC (murder) against 11 of the accused.
Another two accused, who were apprehended later, would also face murder charges. The Seraikela-Kharsawan police had earlier dropped the murder charges against the accused, contending that Ansari had died of cardiac arrest due to stress, and not injury. The charges were changed on the basis of a fresh forensic report.
The Jharkhand police headquarters in a press statement said: “The reason of death was reserved in view of pending viscera examination in the postmortem report received by police during the time of submission of charge sheet earlier. In the report of the Forensic Science Laboratory, doctors had opined that the death was caused due to cardiac arrest. But, the reason of heart attack was not clear.”
For further investigation, police had sought an opinion from a board of doctors of the MGM Medical College and Hospital.
On the basis of the new report, police came to the conclusion that the cardiac arrest was caused by the preceding violence inflicted with “hard and blunt object.”
Besides, the police have also received the integrity report of the video in which Tabrez was seen brutally beaten up.
“There has been no tampering found in the viral video. So during further investigation on the basis of additional evidences, accused have been charged under section 302,” the police said.
“Due to expeditious investigation, 11 accused were arrested and sent to jail within 72 hours of the incident. Special emphasis was given on scientific accumulation of evidences. We have taken other mob lynching cases quite seriously. As many as 66 accused in mob lynching cases have so far been punished. We are committed to prevent such cases in the State,” the police said.
“I am happy that the accused will now be facing murder charges. We will not let anyone off the hook,” Sahista Pervez, wife of deceased Tabrez, told The Hindu.
A couple of days ago, Ms. Pervez had threatened a fast-unto-death alleging that the administration was not cooperating in supply of necessary documents in connection with the murder.
Terming the incidents of lynching unfortunate, Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy had earlier said the Centre would speak to the Jharkhand government on dropping of murder charges against suspects in the Tabrez Ansari lynching case.
In the month of April this year, Tabrez Ansari, the 24-year-old youth, who was working as a wielder in Pune had returned to his village Kadamdia, 15 km from district headquarter town of Seraikela, to get married. On April 27, his marriage was solemnized with Ms Pervez. The couple would have returned to Pune in few days.
But on June 17 night, some people of Dhatkidih village, a few kilometer from his house, caught hold of him and branded him a thief. He was beaten up by a mob for whole night and forced to chant ‘Jai Hanuman and Jai Sriram’. On June 22, he succumbed to injuries in the judicial custody. It was alleged that Tabrez was not given proper medical attention in time.
