Seat Sharing, Casteist Slurs Led to Junaid Khan’s Lynching: HC

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled out a theory of the attack being ‘pre-planned’

(Image Altered by The Quint)

While granting bail to one of the accused in the 2017 Junaid Khan lynching case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that the fight had begun over seat sharing in the train and casteist abuses, reported The Indian Express.

The order pased by Justice AB Chaudhari on 28 March, now made public, was accessed by The Indian Express.

“There is neither any evidence of any pre-planning to cause incident deliberately or intentionally or to create disharmony,” stated the order while granting bail to one accused Rameshwar Dass.

According to The Indian Express, a trial court had last year dismissed Dass’ bail plea, saying that he was involved in the quarrel with the victims “from the beginning”. Justice Chaudhari observed that the trial court’s distinction wasn’t apt and that the quarrel started only after all accused boarded the train.

Except attributing him the abuses in the name of castes or giving slaps in the first round, it cannot be said that there was any allegation about the petitioner asking Naresh or any other boy to assault the other group, including the deceased. There is not even remote whisper that the petitioner had instigated or asked anybody to commit assault.

The observation made by Justice Chaudhari, as reported by The Indian Express

Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was allegedly stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June.

His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and PTI)