2016 Mathura clash: Wife of slain police officer moves SC for investigation

The wife of a police officer, who was killed in a clash with the squatters at Jawahar Bagh in Mathura in 2016 has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the CBI to constitute a team to investigate the incident within two months.

The wife of a police officer, who was killed in a clash with the squatters at Jawahar Bagh in Mathura in 2016 has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the CBI to constitute a team to investigate the incident within two months. More than 20 people, including two police officials, were killed during a drive to evict squatters at Jawahar Bagh. The plea filed by Archana Dwivedi, wife of Superintendent Police (city) Mukul Dwivedi, who was killed during clashes in Mathura on June 2, 2016, said that on March 2, 2017, the Allahabad High Court directed CBI to constitute two teams to complete the investigation within two months but 40 months have passed and yet the "powerful politicians and top officials of the State" have not been interrogated. The Uttar Pradesh government had, in January 2014, granted permission to Ram Vriksha Yadav's organisation Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik to hold a demonstration at the ground for two days. However, members of the organisation, which claims allegiance to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, went on to occupy the sprawling public park for more than two years.

Following a high court order, the squatters were evicted from the park amid large-scale violence. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, has sought directions to CBI to constitute a team comprising of adequate number of officers to investigate the incident dated June 2, 2016 within two months, in which Dwivedi along with SHO Farah, Santosh Yadav and others were killed. "No punitive action has been taken against the then DM and SSP Mathura who intentionally asked petitioner's husband to take action to vacate the park with unarmed policemen. "Petitioner finds a larger conspiracy and believes that truth will remain buried unless the Court passes appropriate orders in this matter. There appears to be a huge pressure on CBI to protect delinquent politicians and top officers," the plea said.

It has also sought directions to the UP government to give access to all relevant records available in order to enable the CBI to undertake an in-depth investigation and identify persons responsible for dereliction of duty and stalling action by the Mathura district administration. The petition alleged that Yadav and his associates had political and bureaucratic patronage and there is bleak chance of a fair and complete investigation. "Petitioner's husband was under tremendous pressure due to political-cult nexus and higher authorities. He was not eating properly in the last few days before he was brutally killed. On one hand, he was given the responsibility of vacating Jawahar Bagh and on the other, senior officers prevented him from taking strict action. "Under mysterious circumstances, he was ordered to get the boundary wall of Jawahar Bagh broken a day prior to the scheduled operation. He was accompanied by only a few newly recruited policemen, armed with only lathis. The senior officers did not permit firearms due to which his armed gunmen, escort party and even his service revolver was not with him. This is very suggestive of a larger criminal conspiracy," the plea said.

The wife of slain officer alleged that no punitive action or suspension has been taken against the higher authorities accountable for this gigantic violence and even after 40 months, CBI has not examined the call details of  Yadav and his associates till date. "It appears that forensic investigations, such as DNA tests, were not conducted, so it is unclear whether the main accused Ram Briksh Yadav is dead or alive. Neither his nor his close associate's phone call details were examined.  "There are more than two dozen cases against Ram Briksh Yadav in Mathura only and many other cases are pending in other districts throughout the State. There were more than 80 intelligence reports against the criminals but police was not permitted to take appropriate steps to vacate the park," it said.

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