State Information Commissioner (SIC)Hafiz Usman directed director general of police (DGP) Zaveed Ahmed, to conduct a high level probe into the Shamli incident in which uncounted number of bodies have been dumped in full police knowledge during 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots to conceal the crime. Usman said that such cops, who can even help to conceal murder cases, should be terminated from the Department.
In a letter written to DGP, Usman claimed to have informed Zaveed Ahmed that how a RTI helped to expose the conduct of the UP police posted in Shamli district during 2013 riots. Usman said that he directed DGP that since he was not satisfied with the action taken in the matter by district police chief of Shamli, Vijay Bhushan, against the guilty cops so more stern action like removal of the accused policemen from the job should be taken. Usman also claimed that as the enquiry just held three constables and sub-inspector responsible for not taking congnizance after finding the bodies lying in jungle, so he asked DGP to conduct a fresh high-level probe to find out whether senior officers also connived with their junior colleagues in hushing up the matter and if yes, than all those who were found responsible for it must face termination.
It may be mentioned that an information under RTI revealed that how the uncounted numbers of bodies of the victims of communal riots in Western UP in 2013, were dumped to unknown place to minimise the death toll number. Surprisingly the bodies were removed in full police knowledge but still no one took cognizance of the matter. Even now just an adverse entry has been made into the personal role of the guilty cops. According to Usman, a RTI was filed with the Shamli police in which the information was sought whether what the cops on the information during 2013 riots that bodies of several persons hailing from Rasoolpur in Kandhla were lying in the near-by jungles went to the place, what cognizance has been taken by the police, if not than what action has been initiated against the cops and whether any enquiry has been pending in this regard.
Usman said that when the senior police officers not responded to the above RTI, a petition has been filed in his court seeking his intervention into the matter. He said to have directed the local police officers in Shamli to furnish the details. However, when even then the officers not responded, he issued a warning to SP Shamli Vijay Bhushan, directing him to either comply with his orders or be ready to face financial and other punishment and also to appear before him in this regard.
SIC said that soon after his warning, Bhushan’s resprentative Rishipal Singh, appeared before him and submitted a writing report which shocked him. He said that the report confirmed that the officials get information of several bodied lying in the jungle of Rasoolpur in Kandhla during 2013 riots. It was also mentioned that on of the information, sub-inspector KK Sharma and constables Harnand Singh, Manoj Kumar and Ravindra Kumar, rushed to the spot and found bodies of many victims lying in the jungle. However, the police party took no action and returned. On the next day when the cops reached, all the bodies were removed and dumped somewhere to conceal the crime. Even after finding that the bodies were removed to conceal the crime, the Shamli police took no cognizance just to save their skins from departmental action. Sources said that now even when SP Shamli admitted that bodies were removed in full police knowledge but he not took the matter seriously and just appraised the SIC that he made adverse entry into the records of above named cops and served them notice in this regard.