A week after the brother of cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi alleged that he was attacked and set afire by seven unidentified men, the Faridabad Police on Thursday said that he had suffered burns after allegedly falling into a “bonfire”, and that there was no proof to suggest that his injuries were sustained in a murder attempt.
Senior police officers aware of the matter said that it appears that Mahesh Panchal, who suffered 60% burns, and Bajrangi lodged a “false complaint” to frame a suspected cow smuggler.
The officers said that Panchal complained to the police on December 14 that seven people sprinkled petrol on him before setting him on fire near Baba Mandi in Faridabad.
Police registered a case on attempt to murder charges following the complaint, and launched an investigation.
On December 15, the Faridabad Police also formed a special investigation team (SIT), questioned more than 20 people, and scanned CCTV footage from the spot where the alleged crime had occurred.
This story was originally published in hindustantimes.com. Read the full story here .
