Murder of Mohsin Shaikh: After 9 years, Hindu Sena leader Dhananjay Desai and 19 Other Accused Walk Free
Main accused in the Murder of Mohsin Shaikh released
Mob lynching cases in India has increased in last 8 years but the conviction rate is very low. The case of Murder of Mohsin Shaikh proves that lynching has become a crime that exonerates offenders in India like in the case of Murder of Mohsin Shaikh. It is to be noted that most lynching cases took place on the pretext of fake news, rumors and communal tensions.
On June 2, 2014, an IT professional Mohsin Shaikh was returning home when a mob caught him and attacked him, resulting in his death. The 28-year-old was caught in a mob, protesting the morphed images of Shivaji and Bal Thackrey that were shared on social media. The communal clashes, that erupted at Unnatinagar and localities around Hadapsar following the objectionable picture, resulted in Mohsin’s death, a person who was not even involved in the act.
S B Salunke, a sessions court judge in Pune, recently acquitted the accused Dhananjay Desai, and 19 others in the murder case of Mohsin Shaikh. The judge observed that the guilt of the accused had not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and there was not enough evidence to convict Desai and others.
Dhananjay Desai, the founder of Hindu Rashtra Sena, a fringe right-wing organization, was considered a huge perpetrator in this murder. It was said that the speech by Desai had instigated the violent clashes. After being arrested for the murder of Shaikh, he served his sentence for five years in prison before being granted bail in February 2019.
In a press conference, he said “There was no evidence against us. Still, instead of arresting the real killers of Mohsin, we were falsely implicated in this case just because some elements wanted to frame us.”
The case had been a huge issue in 2014, and people protested how the violent clashes had
resulted in the death of an innocent man only because he belonged to another religion.
The FIR registered read, “As Mohsin had a beard, a skull cap and was wearing a light green
Pathani shirt, they attacked him with hockey sticks and banged a cement block on his head.”
Prosecution of Mob Lynchers
For the prosecution to prove that there was a common object and the act of violence had been done in furtherance of that common object is difficult in most cases and that’s why a large number of cases which include the charge of Section 149 have been disposed of with the acquittal of most or all of the accused.
Private Member Bills of Mr. Shashi Tharoor and of Advocate KTS Tulsi were introduced in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha the former was rejected while alter was tabled. Tulsi compared lynching with terrorism and demanded a separate law to deal with lynching. There is no law for lynching till now. Only few states like Rajasthan, Manipur among others have executed the directions of preventive measures of the Supreme Court.
The case showcases the widespread violence in the name of religion, and the recent acquittal has not
helped in giving any security to people.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi tweets-
Mohsin was the first lynching victim after 2014. His only fault was that he was Muslim. After 8 years & 4 Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, all accused have been acquitted. Mohsin’s father died without seeing the killers go to jail.https://t.co/L0SAJcb16D
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 28, 2023
The judgment is being questioned by people and #JusticeForMohsin is trending as people
express their sadness and anger.
