India

Shambhu Lal Regar, who hacked and burnt a Muslim man alive, may contest in 2019 polls

Shambhu Lal Regar, who is in jail in Jodhpur for murdering and then burning the body of a Muslim labourer, capturing the whole incident in a video, is all set to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Agra.

The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, a lesser known political outfit in UP, has offered Regar a ticket and has also claimed that he has accepted the offer, reported the News18. 

“The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena has decided that for the Agra Lok Sabha seat, the party’s candidate will be Shambhulal Regar. He will contest the election from inside Jodhpur jail, where he is currently lodged,” Amit Jani, National President of the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, told News18.

News18 asked Jani if he was comfortable associating with a man accused of such serious a crime, to which he said, “People like Atique Ahmed, Mukhtar Ansari and Raja Bhaiyya have far more serious cases against their names. If someone like Shahabuddin can contest elections, then so can Shambhulal Regar. He is innocent until proven guilty – a murder accused, not a murderer.”

Recently, Regar was honoured with a tableau during Ram Navmi celebrations in the city.

In December, 2017, the Rajasthan police had said Shambhu Lal Regar wanted to kill another Muslim man but ended up hacking and burning alive a 48-year-old migrant labourer in Rajsamand on December 6.

According to Hindi daily Hindustan, during interrogation, Regar had told police that Mohammed Afrazul, a resident of West Bengal’s Malda, was not his target but he killed him by mistake.

The murder on December 6 triggered a India-wide outrage after videos of the incident went viral on social media. He also shot several videos after the murder in which he expressed his hate for Muslims. He was soon taken into custody.

ALSO READ: Why rewarding Rajasthan psychopath highlights an existential crisis for Indian Muslims

“He wanted to kill one Ajju Sheikh because he was in contact with a girl. We suspect Regar had an affair with her,” Rajendra Singh Rao, police circle officer of Rajsamand, told the newspaper.

Regar reportedly went to the market at Jhalchakki to enquire about Sheikh, the police said. But he could not find him and asked a labourer for his mobile number. “The labourer might have misheard Regar or needed to get some work done and gave him Afrazul’s number,” the police said.

Regar called Afrazul on December 5, the police said. He asked Afrazul to meet him but the day the labourer was reportedly in the town of Nathdwara.

As many as 28 policemen and several others were injured after a mob went on rampage in Udaipur against the arrest of Regar.

ALSO READ: 28 cops hurt after mob supporting Rajasthan psychopath go on rampage, 200 arrested

 

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