Rajasthan 'love jihad' case: Family of man burnt alive demand death penalty for accused, allege conspiracy

The family of a Muslim labourer who was burnt alive  in Rajasthan for alleged “love jihad” demanded the death penalty for the accused and claimed that there was a conspiracy, The Indian Express reported.  The victim Mohammed Afrazul’s family is reportedly in disbelief, saying, “Those who killed him like an animal and showed his pictures to the world should be hanged.”

“We even spoke to him on Tuesday. He used to call us everyday. We do not even know what love jihad is. He has grandchildren. They butchered my father like animals before setting him on fire. I want them to suffer in the same manner. I have seen the video and heard the cries of my helpless father while he was being killed,” Rejina Khatun, Afrazul’s daughter, told The Indian Express.

“There is a conspiracy and big people are involved. What can a labourer do? The manner in which the crime is highlighted on social media shows that there is a deep conspiracy and big people are involved. We have relatives in Rajasthan who are at the police station now,” Zeenat Khan, Afrazul’s niece, told The Indian Express.

Afrazul, who hailed from West Bengal, was burnt alive in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district. The video of the gruesome incident went viral on social media.

The accused, identified as Shambhu Lal Regar, has since been arrested, SP Rajsamand Manoj Kumar told PTI. He said that Regar, a resident of Raj Nagar, was being interrogated.

State home minister Gulabchand Kataria condemned the incident and said that the investigation has been handed over to SIT for further investigation. “The labourer died on the spot,” police said.

According to the inspector general of Udaipur, Anand Srivastava, the accused was also seen shouting at the victim in the video. An investigation is on and matter is being probed for further details, he added.

On 19 November, a controversial booklet and a pamphlet warning Hindu girls about love jihad were allegedly distributed at a stall in an Hindu spiritual and service fair in Jaipur, prompting the police to order an inquiry.

The pamphlets, carrying a picture of a Bollywood actress, warned the people against love jihad and also claimed that two Muslim actors had left their Hindu wives.

Amid claims that the material was handed out at a stall of Bajrang Dal, its coordinator Ashok Singh denied that it was distributed from their stall.

With inputs from PTI