Amid the small unplastered houses and beautiful green trees stands Sajida’s shop, with beautiful bangles hanging near the almirah, catching the eyes of the customers. Her shop is small yet big enough for her to provide solace in havoc. Inside her shop, dresses with bling on them are kept for sale, vibrant and subtle-shaded lipsticks are organised on one shelf, and blue-red earrings painted with glitter are on another, waiting for the customers to adorn them.
Sadija sits on a chair, and a series of happiness comes into her life when customers arrive. Each day, she wakes up with the hope of selling more. The unbridled happiness she witnesses daily is enough for her to live. But her life has not always been this beautiful, the skies were sombre last year. What happened to her leaves an indelible black mark on the justice system of this nation. Her husband, Juniad, along with his cousin Nasir, was set ablaze.
In February last year, Junaid (35) and Nasir (25) from Ghatmika made big headlines in newspapers. They were brutally lynched and set ablaze on February 15, 2023. Their charred car was found on February 16, 2023, at the Haryana-Rajasthan border, with their bodies inside. They were kidnapped, assaulted, and set ablaze by cow vigilantes on suspicion of carrying beef.
According to the investigation, Nasir and Junaid were assaulted for several hours by two groups of cow vigilantes at the junctions of districts—Rajasthan’s Bharatpur and Haryana’s Ferozepur Jhirka. The severely injured men were then taken to Ferozepur-Jhirka police station in Haryana by the vigilantes, but turned away by police officers who feared the duo could die in custody.
Following this, one of the groups took Nasir and Junaid to Bhiwani and burned them. Only parts of their skeletal remains were recovered from the charred vehicles. Monu Manesar, a local Bajrang Dal member who runs a regional network of cow protectors, was the prime accused in the incident. However, the Rajasthan DGP stated that Monu was “not directly involved” in the incident and only his role in the background was being probed.
Nasir left behind a wife and an adopted daughter, and Junaid left a wife and six children. Junaid’s then 12-year-old daughter Parvana, startled by the news of her father’s brutal death, got sick, mostly remained confined to bed, and subsequently lost her life.
The bodies of Nasir and Junaid were so severely charred that it was difficult to differentiate between the duo; hence, the gravestones of both graves read the same name, “Nasir and Junaid.” Junaid was the only breadwinner of the family, and his death engulfed Sadija (Junaid’s widow) in poverty. “We were left with nothing,” she winced and told FoEJ media over a phone conversation.
Sajida, who was facing financial difficulties, found support from Miles2Smile, a Delhi-based Non-Profit Organization. She recounted how her daughter, deeply attached to her late father, tragically passed away recently due to grief. Sajida expressed disbelief over her daughter’s death but shared her determination to open a shop.
“I told him about my interest in opening a cosmetic shop” Sajida added.
“I now receive a decent monthly income from my shop,” Sajida said with a wave of happiness on her face.
On being asked about her other children, Sadija said, “I wanted them to study at a private school.”
Junaid’s death was a shock to Sajida, but she had faith in Justice; unfortunately, that too betrayed her.
She told FoEJ that she thought Junaid would get justice within a few days, but it’s a battle she’s still fighting.
“It took too long to apprehend Moni, but I’m hopeful that all the other accused will be arrested soon,” said Sajida.
Who is Monu Manesar, and What’s his Connection with Nasir and Junaid?
Monu Manesar, also known as Mohit Yadav, was the prime accused in the Nasir and Junaid cases. He holds an important position in the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organization. He is known for his involvement in cow vigilante activities and has a history of violent actions against Muslims and other minorities.
A total of 21 individuals, including Monu Manesar, have been named in connection with the murders of Nasir and Junaid. On September 13, 2023, Monu Manesar, the main accused, was arrested.
Earlier in this case, due to Monu’s active involvement in cow vigilante activities, his YouTube account with 200,000 subscribers was also terminated.
He has also been accused of the violent behaviour of the Nuh; he allegedly triggered the clashes. The violence began on July 31, 2023, during the ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra’ organised by the VHP and then spread to adjoining areas, including Gurugram. A pistol and three live rounds were recovered from him during the arrest of Manesar in Gurugram district.
Manesar was a prime figure in the brutal lynching of Nasir and Junaid. Meanwhile, DGP stated that Monu was “not directly involved” in the incident and only his role in the background was being probed.
However, the Rajasthan police later clarified that Monu Manesar is an accused in the FIR, and his “role in hatching conspiracy and abetting the heinous crime is under active investigation.”
However, media reports said that during the interrogation by the Rajasthan Police, Monu Manesar confessed that the plan to murder Nasir-Junaid was hatched eight days before their abduction, and when they were picked up, they did not have a cow with them. After this, they were beaten and taken to Firozpur Jhirka police station in an injured condition.
Villagers and Families Protest Lynching of Nasir and Junaid, Alleging Rajasthan Government Suppression
After the brutal lynching of the duo, the families of Nasir and Juniad and the villagers of the Ghatmika staged a protest against the iniquity that happened with the deceased. Mohammed Jabir, a cousin of Nasir and Junaid, led the protest and staged it in front of the graves of the duo in an attempt to seek justice. However, the villagers had accused the Rajasthan government of trying to “silence” them and call off the protest.
Chargesheet Filed
On June 16, 2023, the Rajasthan Police filed a chargesheet against three accused—Rinku Saini, Monu Rana alias Narendra Kumar, and Gogi alias Monu—in the Nasir and Junaid murder cases. The chargesheet had been filed under various IPC sections, including 147, 148, 149, 435, 364, 365, 367, 368, 302, 201, and 120B.
However, the investigation was kept pending against 27 other accused, including Monu Manesar, under CrPC 173(8).
Political Outrage
The Junaid and Nasir lynching cases sparked strong political reactions, with the Rajasthan government facing criticism for its attempts to suppress the protests and for its inactive measures.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the BJP and RSS for “supporting the inhuman act” of the lynching of Junaid and Nasir. Owaisi accused the right-wing groups of trying to protect the accused and prevent their arrest. The Rajasthan Congress government had also been criticised for its handling of the case, with allegations that it is trying to “stifle” the protests and “silence” the victims’ families.
Support by the Government?
The government of Rajasthan provided Junaid’s wife, Sajida, a total compensation of Rs 6 lakh. This amount included Rs 5 lakh each from the state government and Rs 1 lakh from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chairman Asaduddin Owaisi, but was that the only support she needed? What about justice? What about long battles of the court?
The conglomerate of hate and religiously motivated lynching of Junaid and Nasir gave shivers to the diaspora of the Muslim community. Muslims of Ghatmika are still scared to cross their village but then “there are people like Aasif bhai who make life bearable,” Sajid told FoEJ.
On talking to Mujtaba he told FoEJ about the resilience of Sajida, he labelled her as “the bravest woman” and “epitomises resilience.”
“I’ve met many brave women but Sajida is the bravest woman,” Mujtaba said.
“She took care of her children alone, witnessed the loss of husband and a daughter, encountered many hurdles, certainly she epitomises bravery and resilience.” he added
