Junaid-Nasir Murder: Victims' Kin Arrested, He Wanted Monu Manesar to be Jailed

Mohammad Jabir, a cousin of Junaid and Nasir, had been demanding the arrest of those accused in their killing.

Mohammad Jabir, a cousin of deceased Junaid and Nasir, had been demanding the arrest of those accused in their killing. 

(Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

Four months after the murder of Junaid and Nasir, a cousin of the duo, who had been protesting against the Rajasthan government and police, was arrested last week. Mohammad Jabir, the cousin, was arrested on the night of Monday, 29 May, after he had threatened to climb the mobile tower in their village of Ghatmeeka, in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.

Junaid and Nasir were burnt to death in February this year, and their charred car with their dead bodies inside was found in Haryana’s Bhiwani. While three men have been arrested in the case, 27 others, listed as ‘suspects’ in the Rajasthan police’s chargesheet haven’t been arrested yet, including Bajrang Dal’s Monu Manesar. Jabir had been leading the protests since February, demanding that Monu be arrested.

Earlier in May, Jabir had climbed a mobile tower in his village and made a video threatening to die by suicide if the police don’t take action against Monu Manesar soon.

Then, after two weeks, Jabir decided to climb the tower again but the police stopped him, said his elder brother Mohammad Kasim. “The police arrested him before he could climb the tower,” Kasim told The Quint.

Cousin Arrested For Alleged Rioting, Murder, Damage To Property

In the FIR registered against Jabir, accessed by The Quint, he has been charged under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 332 (hurt to public servant), 353 (assault to public servant), 336 (acting negligently as to endanger human life) as well as 307 (attempt to murder). Jabir has also been charged under section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (mischief causing damage to public property).

As per the FIR, Jabir had made a post on his Facebook that went viral where he “gave an open warning that he will climb this tower tonight and no one can do anything to stop him”. The FIR also states that Jabir would “regularly make inflammatory videos and post on his Facebook.”

The FIR further states that on the night of 29th, when police officials and the administration tried to stop him from climbing the tower, “Jabir picked up a stone and attempted to hit the police officer with the intention of killing him” but he “moved to the side and just managed to save himself”. The FIR also says that despite the police trying to control him, Jabir kept “pushing the police officers and engaging in a scuffle”.

The FIR has been registered in the Pahadi police station, and the complainant is the CI Station House Officer (SHO) Shivlahri. Speaking to The Quint, Shivlahri said that “Jabir and his affiliates tried to harass the police officers.”

While Jabir has been arrested, thirteen others have been named in the FIR as the accused, including Kasim, his elder brother.

'This Is Only Because He Demanded Monu Manesar's Arrest': Family

Jabir’s relatives claim that he was arrested for his continued protests in the Junaid-Nasir case. “It has been so many months but Monu Manesar has still not been arrested. Jabir was leading the fight demanding the arrest. So of course, the police decided to arrest him,” said Kasim.

Kasim also said that Jabir’s demands weren’t limited to Monu’s arrest. “The government had promised a compensation of fifteen lakh each to Junaid and Nasir’s families. So far only 5 lakh have been paid to each. He wanted the Congress government to meet this demand,” Kasim added.

Junaid and Nasir, two relatives from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, were kidnapped and subsequently killed and their burnt bodies were found in their charred Bolero in Haryana’s Bhiwani in February this year. On 16 May, three months after the incident, the Rajasthan police filed a chargesheet in the case.

The Quint had reported how the chargesheet names Monu Manesar as one of the suspects, but only three individuals have been arrested so far.