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A DAY after the murder of a 36-year-old man in a market in Meerut city, his family said on Sunday that he was “targeted because of his gau raksha (cow protection) work”. The police, however, said prima facie it is a matter of family rivalry.
The family of the victim, Asif, has named seven persons in their police complaint. “Asif was involved in cow vigilante activities and supported the BJP. Our whole family is against cow slaughter. That is what those people (the accused) did not like and attacked him,” said the victim’s cousin Muttalib (34).
He said, “Asif was very happy because his younger brother Imran had got bail from the Allahabad HC on Thursday (in a murder case). Asif was consulting lawyers for his brother’s immediate release. He was killed before he could meet his brother.”
Asif was on his way to the market on his scooter on Saturday evening when the assailants opened fire at him and fled the spot. His family has accused their neighbours of the murder.
A resident of Neecha Saddiq-nagar in Meerut, Asif is survived by his wife and two children. He was released on bail a month ago in a December 2022 murder case. Imran is also an accused in the case.
“Asif had many times provided information to the police on cow slaughter. Police had raided their (accused) godowns recently too. Now the whole family (of the accused) is absconding,” said Asif’s uncle, Salim (50). Asif’s elder brother Dilshad was also murdered in a similar manner in 2015.
“Asif was facing charges in three cases. There is a history of family rivalry between both the families and prima facie, it seems, Asif was attacked because of personal enmity. He was not a cow vigilante,” said SSP, Meerut, Rohit Singh Sajwan. “We have formed two teams to investigate the matter and the accused will be arrested at the earliest,” he added.
BJP’s Meerut City chief Mukesh Singhal denied Asif’s association with the party.
“He was neither a BJP leader nor was he given any position or task by the party. He could be doing cow vigilante activities on his own,” said Singhal.
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