Hashimpura families recall the massacre, some say life term not punishment enough

The families of the 1987 Hashimpura massacre victims could not hold back tears on Wednesday after the Delhi High Court sentenced 16 ex-policemen to life imprisonment for killing 38 people from the Muslim community.

The high court verdict, which reversed the acquittal of the men from Uttar Pradesh's PAC, brought relief to some. But others felt that the life term awarded to them was not enough.

A PTI-Bhasha correspondent spoke to the victims' families and eyewitnesses in the city's Hashimpura locality hours after the verdict was pronounced.

Zulfikar, an eyewitness in the case, alleged that after the massacre, they were harassed not just by the police but also the state government.

"The police and the government always tried to weaken this case, but we were not deterred and continued fighting. Finally, justice has been done today," he said.

"It would have given us more relief if the accused had been sentenced to death," Zulfikar added.

He said they will fight the case even if it goes to the Supreme Court.

The killings took place 31 years ago.

A little over a month after communal riots broke out in Meerut on April 14, 1987, the PAC and Army personnel carried out searches in Hashimpura and some other Meerut localities.

The PAC personnel allegedly shot dead 38 men from Hashimpura and dumped their bodies into Muradnagar Gang nahar and the Hindon river.

Zulfikar, Babbudin, Mujib-ur-Rehman, Mohammed Usman and Nayeem survived the massacre on May 22, Hashimpura residents said.

Usman said people were picked up by the military from their homes on the pretext of a search operation and handed over to the PAC.

"We were six brothers and our father. Fifty men were picked up in the evening, the children were spared, and were taken away in a PAC truck," he said, showing a bullet mark on his back.

Expressing some disappointment over the court's verdict, he said, "It would have been far better if those evil people were sentenced to death."
Jamaluddin, who lost his son Kamruddin in the massacre said, "Never before have I seen or heard of such a long fight for justice. We got justice after a long fight. The trial court's order, which acquitted the accused, only rubbed salt on our wounds."