In a new twist that has further complicated the murder investigation of Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Mohammad Khaleel Alam Rizvi in Bihar's Samastipur, main accused Anurag Jha has shared a video on Instagram in which he and another accused are seen thrashing and abusing Rizvi for "eating beef."
In the video, Rizvi is asked where cows were slaughtered in Musrigharari. He is also made to confess that he did in fact eat beef.
Jha is also heard appealing to Hindus to share the video as much as possible.
The Murder
34-year-old Rizvi, who was a resident of Hudhiya village in Musrigharari, was kidnapped and murdered on 16 February. Two days later, on 18 February, his body was found buried five feet under the ground in a poultry farm in Vasudevpur village, which is located in the Kalyanpur police station area of Samastipur.
An attempt was made by the killers to burn the corpse entirely to make it unrecognisable. Salt was also added to quicken the decomposition process, according to police reports.
On the basis of statements made by Rizvi's family members, several calls were made to them by the kidnappers from Rizvi's mobile phone demanding money.
The family had then lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in the Musrigharari police station on 17 February, alleging kidnapping.
What the Initial Police Report Said
According to the police, Vipul Jha, one of the accused, inserted Rizvi's SIM card into his phone on the basis of which the police nabbed him first among the accused.
The police then reached the poultry farm where Rizvi was buried on the night of 18 February.
According to police reports, Rizvi had allegedly taken Rs 3, 70,000 on the pretext of getting Vipul and his associates jobs.
When Rizvi did not deliver, Vipul and others took him to the poultry farm and allegedly killed him, police said.
Rizvi was an active leader of the JDU, the ruling party in Bihar.
Anurah Jha's Video Counters Police Claim
Anuraj Jha, who has been absconding since the murder, countered the police's claims by uploading the video on Instagram, which points to a beef-related angle in the case.
The Quint spoke to officer Aftab Alam from the Musrigharari police station to inquire about the video put out by Jha.
When asked about the reason behind the murder, Alam said, "Khaleel was killed because of money-related matters, but why was this video made; it is up to you to understand."
The officer also said that out of the total five accused in the case, Vipul Jha and Kishan Jha had been arrested. He also added that the police was trying to search for the remaining three, who are currently absconding.
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