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'I am a normal person,' says accused in gruesome Rajasthan murder video

Meanwhile, accused Raigar has claimed that he was being threatened by the deceased's community members.

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Within hours of apprehending Shyamlal Raigar for the gruesome murder of Muslim labourer Mohammed Afrazul, 47, in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, internet services in the district were temporarily barred and additional security forces were deployed.

The police also learnt that the accused, Raigar, made a few videos before the crime as well. "Some videos were made a few days ahead of the commission of crime, while two videos were made on the day of murder. The murder was captured on the video by Raigar's nephew, a minor,"said Anand Srivastav, Inspector General, Udaipur range.

The range IG further said the internet ban was expected to stem rumours from spreading. "As of now, no Love Jihad angle has come to light," he said. The cops have also detained a dozen people for questioning. "Raigar's friends and family members are being questioned about the man," the IG said.

"We are also trying to find out whether the act was committed under some sort of conspiracy and whether someone other than him was behind the murder," he added.

Interestingly, Raigar does not have a criminal background, as was being thought earlier. "He was a marble trader for nearly a decade, primarily operating in Rajsamand, Gurugram, and Anand in Gujarat. His parents live in Anand but are originally from Rajasthan. He has three daughters and the youngest is undergoing treatment for a mental disorder. She also gets a government pension," Srivastav said.

Commenting on the incident, DGP O P Galhotra said:"It is a heinous act that no person of sane mind would ever commit. The home minister had directed to form an SIT under SP, Rajsamand. The investigation was completed within 24 hours, and the main accused was arrested. He is being interrogated. Since the investigation is in a preliminary stage, not much can be said right now."

Notably, a minor girl seen in one of the videos was Raigar's daughter."It has also come to light that the murder video was made by Raigar's minor nephew. Also, he is not associated with any outfit or organisation and does not have a criminal background," the DGP said, adding: "We are perturbed that such a crime has taken place in the state. It is our utmost priority that the chargesheet is filed as soon as possible and the accused is punished. It is a rarest of rare case and we will demand death penalty for the accused."

The top cop further said: "Ours is a peaceful state and a heinous act like this one can not be used to generalise the law and order situation. We would like to assure the general public that any activity that hampers the peace in the state will not be tolerated."

Meanwhile, accused Raigar has claimed that he was being threatened by the deceased's community members. He alleged that the complainant had fled with a girl to Bengal and after Raigar successfully rescued her, he started getting threats.

"I have known this girl since childhood and she was like a family member. I used to study with her brother in school and their family lived near us," Raigar said, when questioned by the media.

"They took the girl from our area and I went to Bengal to bring her back. After this, they started threatening me. I am a normal person," he further said.

Meanwhile, the family members of victim Khan, who hailed from a village in Kaliachak of Malda district of West Bengal, said that they were shell-shocked since receiving the phone call on Wednesday.

"He was murdered because of his faith and they spun a yarn to justify it. I want the murderers to be hanged in public," said Khan's wife Gul Bahar Bibi. She said he last talked to his family in Malda on February 5.

Khan is survived by his wife and three daughters, Jyotsna Khatoon, Rejina Khatoon, and Habiba Khatoon.

"It is a big conspiracy. The fact that his brutal murder was taped and circulated on social media is proof enough. The murderer butchered him while he kept crying for mercy. Our relatives in Rajasthan are in touch with the police and we hope the administration works towards unearthing the truth," Rejina said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, too, condemned the act. "How can people be so inhuman? Sad," she tweeted.

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