Hashimpura massacre: It's a battle half won, says IPS who filed first FIR

LUCKNOW: For retired IPS officer Vibhuti Narain Rai, who had filed the first FIR in Hashimpura massacre case, conviction of 16 PAC personnel is just a half-won battle. "These lowly ranked cops wouldn't have taken such a drastic step on their own. There definitely were orders from the top. Besides, riot-hit Hashimpura at that time was under Army's control," says the much-decorated 1975 batch officer, who stood by the victims' families and survivors through the 31-year-long court battle despite opposition from his fraternity.

Rai was the Ghaziabad SSP in May 1987. Although Hashimpura falls in neighbouring Meerut, the massacre had taken place inside Ghaziabad. He still recalls with shudder the night of May 22-23, 1987, when he had been informed about 'bodies being thrown' in Hindon river. Rai along with then DM Naseem Zaidi -- who later became the chief election commissioner -- rushed to the site to witness the horrific spectacle. Searching for any survivors from the pile of dead, he found Babudin, who had managed to hoodwink the killers.

Babudin narrated the whole incident to Rai, who, in turn, informed the then CM Vir Bahadur Singh. Rai then filed the first FIR in the case, which became the foundation for prosecution of the accused PAC men. Rai also authored a book titled 'Hashimpura 22 May: The Forgotten Story of India's Biggest Custodial Killing' on what he called 'secular India's most shameful and horrendous incident'.

Apart from the state paramilitary force's 'majoritarian' bias, Rai also hints at a 'personal vendetta' that could have been the reason for the gruesome incident. "It could be possible that it (the conspiracy to kill) was hatched at the behest of an army officer posted in Meerut and his mother, a city BJP leader," he says.

In Rai's words: "Younger brother of the army officer had been killed in the communal riots in Meerut four days before this massacre. He along with his BJP leader mother and senior officers of the administration drew a plan to avenge the death."

That is why, Rai feels, the verdict nailing the PAC personnel is only a battle half won because army jawans, officers and the BJP leader should also be brought to book. "Why punish poor PAC jawans only when there is involvement of top officers, politicians and also local unit of army, which was controlling law and order on that particular day. They should also face the same fate," says Rai.