NEW DELHI: An independent fact-finding team investigating the Republic Day communal clashes in Kasganj found loopholes in the police investigation and also accused them of covering up the incident. Their report titled 'The Truth of Kasganj' was released here.
Kasganj had erupted in communal violence after one Chandan Gupta was killed following altercations with Muslims over the route of the Tiranga Yatra. Around 29 Muslims have been accused of the crime.
According to the report, the police had sided with the accused right from the time of filing of the FIRs.
Some of the loopholes on the part of the police that the report points out include filing of two FIRs in the incident – one against the Hindus and another against the Muslims. While the Hindus have been given bail, the latter had been behind bars for a prolonged period of time.
Anukalp Chauhan, Chandan’s brother, had been declared absconding by the police but he was seen at his brother’s funeral the very next day of the announcement. Anukalp had also called for violence against Muslims in a video he posted on social media, a few days before Republic Day but these factors were ignored by the police.
A General Diary entry had clearly mentioned that the Hindus in the rally belonged to the Hindu Yuva Vahini, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s organization, but the fact was again ignored by the police.
Another flaw that the team pointed out was that the main eyewitness of the Chandan’s murder is his father Sushil, who admitted that he was not at the site of the incident.