Hashimpura Massacre: Only Four PAC Personnel Have Surrendered Yet

Despite the Delhi High Court order, only four out of sixteen former Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel convicted in Hashimpura massacre case have surrendered before the Tis Hazari court. The Delhi High Court had given them time till November 22 to surrender. The four will be sent to the Tihar Jail. The court has issued a non-bailable warrant against rest of the accused who have been not surrendered.

1987 Hashimpura mass murders case: Four out of 15 jawans of Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UPPAC) have surrendered before Delhi's Tis Hazari Court. The four will be sent to Tihar jail. The Court has issued non-bailable warrant against rest of the jawans. pic.twitter.com/iiCXSiTTov

— ANI (@ANI) 22 November 2018

After 31 years, the Delhi High Court, on October 31, convicted 16 former PAC personnel, and sentenced them to life imprisonment for killing of 42 Muslims in Hashimpura locality of Uttar Pradesh's Meerut in 1987. The court had given them time till November 22. The bench had observed that it was a targeted killing by the security personnel. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel reversed a trial court's verdict which had acquitted the accused. In the history of modern India, this case has seen the largest number of victims killed in police custody. 

According to media reports, it is not clear if all the accused will surrender today, but if they do not follow the court's order, they can be arrested anytime. Total 17 PAC personnel were named as accused, as per the details of the general diary, information of PAC jawans, namely Surendra Pal Singh, Niranjan Lal, Kamal Singh, Shravan Kumar, Kush Kumar, SC Sharma, Om Prakash, Samihullah, Jaipal, Mahesh Prasad, Ram Dhyan, Leeladhar, Mameer Singh, Kunwar Pal, Buddha Singh, Basant Vallabh and Rambir Singh. Out of the seventeen, one died during the course of the trial in the case.

During the communal riots in Meerut in May 1987, 46 Muslims were picked from Hashimpura area by jawans of PAC, lodged in a truck, and taken to some place. They were shot, and thrown into the Gang Nahar. While 42 died, four of them survived to recount the horror.

Speaking with Newsclick, Rebecca John, who has represented the families of the victims for 15 years, said, "If all of them have not surrendered, they have to be now arrested. Notwithstanding the order, they will seem to be in breach of the order.”

When asked whether they can apply for bail in the Supreme Court, she said that they have to first surrender. 

Human rights lawyer Abubakr Sabbaq told Newsclick, "If the personnel do not surrender, the district court may also order to confiscate their property."

Read more: Justice After 31 Years in Hashimpura, But Endless Wait For Families of 72 Muslims Killed in Maliyana