By TCN News,
New Delhi: “The acquittal of all the surviving accused in the Hashimpura-Maliana massacre of 1987 is a murder of justice and a black day in the history of India,” said Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations.
Dr Khan was commenting on the acquittal today of all the 16 surviving accused who had committed one of the most heinous crimes in independent India when a company of the Provincial Armed Contributory (PAC) picked up Muslim youth, murdered 42 of them point-blank on 22 May 1987 during a riot in Meerut and then dumped their bodies in a canal in Ghaziabad.
Dr Khan said there is a pile of evidence of all kinds against the accused but the learned judge chose to give them benefit of doubt claiming that there was lack of evidence in the ease.
Dr Khan said, the intentions of the rulers were not good from day one in this case, as all attempts were made during these past 27 years to shield the criminals in uniform. The U.P. state government continued to tell the courts that it cannot find the accused while they were actually serving in their units, getting promotions and even retiring with full benefits.
Dr Khan said what has happened is a result of the conspiracy of the whole system to shield its criminals. He said this unjust verdict will go down in history as a worst example of miscarriage of justice. It also shows that minorities in India cannot get justice under a biased system.
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