UP: Agra cops nab 4 Hindutva group members for conspiring to frame Muslims in cow slaughter case

The Agra Police have arrested four alleged members of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) for conspiring to frame four Muslim men in a cow slaughter case. According to the police, the accused — Sanjay Jat, Jitendra Kushwaha, Brajesh Bhadoria, and Saurabh Sharma — colluded with rivals of the four Muslim men to hatch the conspiracy.

Background of the accused

Sanjay Jat, who had been expelled from the ABHM, had put together a large crew consisting of about a dozen women and two dozen men, despite having 15 criminal cases registered against him.

He had posed as the “national spokesperson” of the ABHM and granted positions to members of his crew, creating false cells with names similar to that of the Hindutva organisation, stated a report in The Print.

Conspiracy Unveiled

On 30 March, the police said that Jat and his accomplices allegedly slaughtered a cow in a field near Agra’s Mehtab Bagh and falsely accused four Muslim men — Rizwan, Nakeem, Chhotu, and Shanu — of the act.

The spot of the slaughter is situated between Gautam Nagar, a Dalit colony, and Abbaspur, a Muslim area. In order to prevent the situation from escalating and maintain peace, the police had filed a case against the four Muslim men.

Arrest and Further Action

After investigating the background of the accused persons, the police plan to take action against them under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

Sanjay Jat could be “hired” to protest for any cause, and one of his close associates informed the police that Jat would show up to these protests with saffron kurtas, gamchas, and a pre-made effigy that could easily be labelled with the name of the target of the protest.

The police are now looking into the alleged criminal activities of Jat’s crew members, most of whom have gone underground.