Bail Granted to VHP and Bajrang Dal Activists Accused of Killing Hussainabba

Hussainabba, a cattle trader from Perdoor was attacked by the Bajrang Dal activists while he was allegedly transporting the cattle in a Scorpio, from Perdoor to Udupi. The Bajrang Dal activists with the help of police killed Hussainabba. The police arrested Udupi Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Suresh Mendon, and Bajrang Dal activists Prasad Kondady, Umesh Shetty Mohan Kotwal and Ratan. The sub-inspector of Hiriadka police station was suspended for dereliction of duty and not taking suitable action in the case.

The police had registered a murder case against arrested VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. the Udupi district and sessions court granted bail to Mohan Kotwal and Bajrang Dal activist Prasad Kondady, on June 18, 2018; Tukaram, another Bajrang Dal activist was given anticipatory bail. The Bail applications of D N Kumar, Gopal, VHP leader Suresh Mendon alias Suri, who is the main accused, Umesh Shetty, Ratan, Chetan alias Chetan Acharya, Shailesh Shetty and Ganesh - were rejected. They will be in judicial custody till June 28.

On June 5, 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs, including Shobha Karandlaje an MP from the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, along with VHP activists, protested against these arrests in Mangalore.

Shashidhar Hemmadi, a journalist in Udupi district, speaking to Newsclick, had explained, ‘“They were against the arrests of the Bajrang Dal activists, and were arguing that no action be taken against the arrested activists till the post-mortem reports are out.” Karandlaje had said,

"In Mangaluru and other parts of Dakshina Kannada, cattle trafficking has increased. The Sangh Parivar activists did not take the law into their hands. They only informed the police about the cattle trafficking by Hussainabba. As many as 13 cows were being transported in a Scorpio. When the Scorpio came to the spot, the police jeep was already there. If Sangh Parivar had resorted to assaulting Hussainabba, the police could have intervened and chased them away. Why did the police not take any action on the spot?".

However, Laxman Nimbargi, superintendent of police (SP) said in a press note that Hiriadka police had helped the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists and had deliberately tried to cover up the case.

Speaking to the Daijiworld, Karandlaje defended the Sangh Parivar and had said, "Neither BJP nor Sangh Parivar activists are involved in Hussainabba's death. He died of cardiac arrest. The police are needlessly harassing the activists to malign the Sangh Parivar. We strongly condemn this."

The investigating officers submitted the post-mortem report in the Udupi District and Sessions Court on Thursday, June 14; Hussainabba did not die of cardiac arrest and the post-mortem report has stated that he died of head injuries. The report confirms that Hussainabba was murdered.

Since the ascent of Modi, there have been 78 cases of mob attacks and lynchings in the name of cow protection, led mostly by Sangh Parivar associated persons. These horrific attacks caused deaths of 29 people and left 273 injured, including 148 seriously injured.  Over two-thirds of the victims were Muslims and the remaining mostly Dalits.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, as many of 97% of these attacks were reported after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power in May 2014, and about half of the cow-related violence – 32 of 63 cases – were from states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This report also notes, 21% (13 of 63) of the cases were reported from southern or eastern states (including Bengal and Odisha), but almost half (six of 13) were from Karnataka.

The support extended to the arrested Sangh Parivar activists by the BJP is condemnable and the court granting bail to the accused in the case of Hussainabba does not assure any conviction.