“My son was killed on his birthday,” said the mother of 22-year-old Shahroz, who was killed during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP’s) Sambhal in December 2019.
Two of the Deceased Hailed From Sambhal
Bilal Leaves Behind Three Young Daughters
“It was Friday and Bilal had stepped out to get medicines for his daughter. It was crowded when he reached near roadways and shots were fired. Bullet hit his chin and he died on the spot,” said Mohammed Sharif, father of Bilal. “People say that the police had fired bullets.”
No arrests have been made in this case till now.
No One Ready To Turn Witness in the Shahzan’s Killing
“It was 20 December 2019, and there were protests going on at Shankar Chouraha. Protests turned into clashes and in the ensuing firing, my son was hit by a bullet,” said Yameen, father of 22-year-old deceased Shahroz. “People took him to hospital but none of them are ready to turn witness. God knows whose bullet killed my son.”
A viral video on social media showed a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Santosh Gupta, allegedly opening firing. In a telephonic interview, Gupta refuted all the allegations. When asked for a video interview, he offered to pay money.
After Two Years, No Arrests, No Justice
“The investigation in both the cases of innocent deaths has become a joke. No concrete evidence has been collected in two years and both the cases are still under investigation,” said Tauseef Mohammed Khan Mikki, a lawyer.
Sambhal Superintendent of Police, Chakresh Mishra said, “Final reports in both the cases have been submitted to the court. Investigations are on, in cases where menace was created.”
The question still remains: Who killed Bilal and Shahzan?
This story first appeared on thequint.com