Click to play videoMumbai: Maharashtra's Khairlanji village is still tense after the massacre of a Dalit family. Two of the prime witnesses in the case, Rajindra and Siddarth Gajbiye allege they are being threatened and harassed and that the administration is looking the other way.
Gajbiye says, “After the accused were released on bail, they were celebrating in the village by beating drums and dancing wildly. They were behaving as if they have done something big. We have already lost four members of our family. Now we are being threatened and we have lost all hope."
Rajindra Gajbiye showed courage when he reported the murder of four members of the Bhotmange family in Khairlanji village. Three months down the line he and his brother Siddharth are now being intimidated by the 11 accused and people close to them.
"Whether the 3rd September incident or the 29th September massacre of four people, they have always tried to suppress the case. This includes the administration and the police,” Gajbiye adds.
With the CBI having failed to file a chargesheet on time most of the accused are out on bail and the Gajbiyes say this has made life very difficult for them. Fed up with this harassment they have now come to Mumbai based NGO, ‘Citizens for Justice and Peace’, which is also pushing for a witness protection programme.
Citizens for Justice and Peace Secretary Teesta Setalvad says, “Isn’t it the duty of the police to protect the rights of these witnesses after such a big tragedy. Look at these people – they are so scared that they can’t even go to their land to cultivate it during the day. They have to go during the night."
The witnesses also allege that their brother in law Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, who is the prime eyewitness of the massacre, has been kept under virtual house arrest by activists close to the accused.
They fear that if he is not set free from their clutches, the case could weaken once it reaches the court since he is already under huge mental stress due to the tragedy.
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