'Killed by Gau Raksha Squad': Claims Family After Death of Muslim Man in Roorkee

The Uttarakhand Police claim that Wasim drowned after jumping into a pond while trying to escape Gau Raksha squad.

Several questions are being raised over the death of 22-year-old Wasim Qureshi.

(Photo: The Quint)

"My brother was drowning and shouting 'save me, save me.' If you watch that video, you won't be able to eat dinner. Even if there is a criminal, you can't kill him by drowning him into a pond," said Alauddin Qureshi, as he tried to hold back tears.

His 22-year-old gym trainer cousin Wasim Qureshi alias Monu Qureshi, who is lived in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, died on Sunday, 25 August.

While the police claim that Wasim Qureshi drowned after jumping into a pond while trying to escape the Uttarakhand Police's Gau Raksha Squad, who suspected him of cow meat smuggling, Wasim's family and eyewitnesses allege that he was brutally beaten by the police, had his legs tied, and was then thrown into the pond.

'He Wanted to Bring a Medal for The Country in Bodybuilding'

Third of nine siblings, Wasim began bodybuilding at a young age and eventually opened his own gym to train others. Speaking to The Quint, Wasim's cousin, Aamir Qureshi, revealed that Wasim had little interest in academics, as he preferred to focus on bodybuilding while maintaining a balance with his business.

"Wasim was a good gym trainer. Over 80 people joined his gym. He competed in three bodybuilding competitions. He often mentioned preparing for big shows post-monsoon. He aimed to win a medal for his country."

Aamir Qureshi, Wasim's Cousin

Another cousin, Afzal, said, "Wasim also knew how to work as an AC mechanic. His father is now around 55 years old and he was the sole breadwinner of his family."

What happened on the night of 24-25 August?

Waseem's cousin Alauddin has a cosmetic shop and is also the District General Secretary of Bhim Army. In his written complaint, he alleged that Waseem had gone to his sister's house in Madhopur village that night and while returning home, the policemen stopped him. Alauddin alleged that six policemen attacked Waseem near a cemetery without any provocation.

“While beating him, they threw him into a nearby pond and did not allow him to come out. Hearing the noise, many villagers rushed to the spot and tried to save Waseem, but the policemen threatened them to leave the place or else they would shoot him. During the above incident, Waseem was killed by the policemen.”

He also claimed that the policemen tied Waseem's legs and threw him in the pond. Calling it a murder, Alauddin alleged, "Six-seven months ago, the police had filed a false case against one of Waseem's cousins and shot him in the leg. When the police came to know that Waseem was also from the same village, they beat him up. This was done due to an old rivalry."

While talking to The Quint, cousin Afzal said, "They surrounded the boy from all sides and beat him. The bone under his eye was broken, his teeth were broken and the bone at the back of his neck was broken. His legs were also tied. They tortured him and gave him a very painful death. It would have been better to hang him than to kill him."

What Does The FIR Say?

Police have registered 3 FIRs in this case. The first FIR was registered at the Gangnahar police station of Roorkee in Haridwar district in which Wasim's cousin Alauddin along with 100 to 150 other people are accused. Along with the sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections of Uttarakhand Gau Santan Protection Act have also been imposed.

According to the FIR, six policemen were on patrol to stop illegal cow smuggling and cow slaughter at 11.30 pm on 24 August. Then at 1.30 am on 25 August, a person (Wasim) was seen going on a scooter in Madhopur village. Police say that the person entered the street, after seeing the police, he left the scooter and ran away. The police say that they recovered 50 kg of "pinkish meat" with light yellow fat in 9 plastic bags from the scooty and the sack lying near it.

According to the FIR, Sub-Inspector Sharad Singh, who was present at the scene, also videotaped the scooter and the alleged beef. Subsequently, he contacted several veterinary officers at 3:09 AM and 4:12 AM, requesting their presence to examine the meat. However, none of the veterinary officers responded to his calls.

According to the police, after this, a crowd of people living nearby began to gather there. The police made this claim in the FIR.

"The mob surrounded us from all sides, started pushing and abusing us. They took us hostage and beat us up. The mob was accusing the police of shooting a young man and throwing him into a pond. A mob of 100-150 people made the scooty and the recovered meat disappear."

The second FIR in the case was registered based on a complaint filed by the inspector in charge of Gangnahar. According to the complaint, the policemen present at the scene contacted authorities after being taken hostage. Subsequently, the police discovered a dead body in a pond. The police successfully rescued the hostage policemen and retrieved the body from the pond, which was later identified as Wasim. A post-mortem examination was then conducted on the body.

After the postmortem report was released, Roorkee Rural SP, Swapan Kishore Singh, held a press conference. During this briefing, he stated that according to the report, the youth had not been shot, his teeth were not broken, and his legs were not tied. Wasim's death was attributed to drowning in water. He also mentioned that Wasim and his family members had previously been implicated in cases related to cow slaughter.

The police have registered a third FIR against four individuals accused of spreading false information on social media and attempting to foster animosity between communities.

Family Raises Questions Over Investigation

First Question: A video from the scene shows Wasim's body being pulled from the pond. In the footage, Wasim's face is covered in blood and wounds. While speaking to The Quint, Wasim's cousin, Alauddin, claimed that when Wasim's body was recovered, one of his eyes was ruptured, his face was covered in blood, and there was a wound on the back of his head. Additionally, there were rope marks on his feet.

The police have stated that the deceased was neither shot nor were his teeth broken. This raises the question over the blood on his face and the serious injury marks on his mouth. In response, Roorkee Circle Officer, Narendra Pant, told The Quint that the pond contained fish, which had eaten away at the body due to the delay in retrieval (3-4 hours).

However, Alauddin questioned why the fish only consumed parts of Wasim's face and not other areas of the body.

Second Question: A police video reportedly shows the recovery of a scooter and meat. According to the FIR, the police first spotted Wasim running at 1:30 AM, and the video was recorded subsequently. Notably, the sound of the Azan, which typically occurs around 4 AM, can be heard in the video.

"The incident occurred at 1:30 in the morning. In the video where the police are seen opening the beef, the sound of the Azan can be heard at 4:00 AM. So, what is the truth?" questioned Alauddin.

Regarding this, Roorkee Circle Officer, Narendra Pant, told The Quint that this is part of the ongoing investigation and the investigating officer will thoroughly examine it.

Third Question: The family is also questioning the whereabouts of Wasim's T-shirt. According to the police, as soon as he saw them, Wasim abandoned his scooter and fled toward the pond. However, when divers retrieved the body, Wasim was not wearing a T-shirt. Alauddin, claims that the spot where the police allege Wasim left his scooter is 1200 meters away from the pond. He insists that Wasim was an excellent swimmer and could not have drowned. The water at the site where Wasim's body was discovered only reached his neck. While there was no boundary wall around the pond, it was enclosed by an iron net.

"Our brother deserves justice. The policemen should be punished. What is the purpose of the court? Even if I were to commit a crime, I should face the consequences," said Waseem's cousin Afzal.

(Translated from Hindi by Aditiya)