Babu Bajrangi
Babu Bajrangi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Organization | Bajrang Dal |
| Criminal charge | Guilty of masterminding theNaroda Patiya massacrewhich killed 97 Muslims |
| Penalty | Life imprisonment |
Babubhai Patel,known by his aliasBabu Bajrangi,[1]was a leader of theGujarat-wing of theBajrang Dal,a Hindu right wing organization inIndia.He was a central figure during the2002 Gujarat violence.[2]He was sentenced tolife term imprisonmentby a special court for his role in masterminding theNaroda Patiya massacrein which 97 Muslims were murdered including 36 women, 26 men and 35 children.[3]TheSupreme Court of Indiagranted him bail on medical grounds in March 2019.[4][5]
Role in 2002 riots[edit]
In 2007, the Indian journalTehelkapublished ahidden-camerainterview with Bajrangi, in which Bajrangi speaks candidly of his role in the violence against Indian Muslims in theNaroda Patiya massacre,a particularly intense episode of brutality during the 2002 Gujarat riots:[6]
We didn't spare a single Muslim shop, we set everything on fire… we hacked, burned, set on fire… we believe in setting them on fire because these bastards don't want to be cremated, they're afraid of it… I have just one last wish… let me be sentenced to death… I don't care if I'm hanged... just give me two days before my hanging and I will go and have a field day inJuhapurawhere seven or eight lakhs [seven or eight hundred thousand] of these people stay... I will finish them off… let a few more of them die... at least 25,000 to 50,000 should die.
In the video, Bajrangi claimed that after the killings, he called the home ministerGordhan Zadaphiaand theVHPGeneral SecretaryJaideep Patel,and told them about the killings. After a few hours, anFIRwas lodged against him, and the police commissioner issued orders to shoot him at sight.[6]He was later arrested, and released on bail. He was out on bail at the time of the Tehelka interview. He also claimedNarendra Modichanged judges three times to ensure that he was released from jail, as the first two judges wanted to sentence Bajrangi to hanging for his heinous crimes.[7]
In 2012, he was convicted in the Naroda Patiya massacre case along withMaya Kodnaniand thirty other accused. All thirty-two of the accused were found guilty of murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, spreading enmity and communal hatred and unlawful assembly.[3][8]
On 31 August 2012, Bajrangi was sentenced tolife imprisonment.[9]However, he continues to be out of jail on bail. As of 2016, Bajrangi had been granted temporary bail 14 times on the pretext of his wife's and his own poor health.[10]After claiming to have developed partial blindness and deafness, Bajrangi was given an attendant (bodyguard) inSabarmati Central Jail.[11]On 7 March 2019, the Supreme Court of India also granted bail to Babu Bajrangi, after the Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court, in reply to a bail plea that Bajrangi had filed last year, that he was in bad shape. The state told the court that Bajrangi has allegedly suffered complete vision loss, besides various other ailments.[12]
Other activities[edit]
Babu Bajrangi also runs a trust calledNavchetan trust,which as per his claims saves the girls who run out of their home and marry outside their community. In a report of theFrontlinemagazine it was claimed that his organisation use intimidation and violence to forcibly end the marriages done outside the community. As per this reports and his claims he had saved more than 700 girls from such inter caste marriages.[13]
References[edit]
- ^"BJP MLA among 32 guilty in Naroda Paitya Massacre".Indian Express.30 August 2012.Retrieved29 August2014.
- ^"Riot witness names MLA, says she led Naroda mob".The Times of India.30 September 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 11 August 2011.Retrieved29 August2014.
- ^ab "Naroda Patiya massacre: Ex-minister Kodnani, 31 convicted".Worldsnap.29 August 2012.
- ^"Babu Bajrangi, convicted in 2002 Naroda Patiya riots, granted bail by Supreme Court".India Today.7 March 2020.Retrieved11 March2020.
- ^"Supreme Court Grants Bail to 2002 Riots Convict Babu Bajrangi".The Wire.7 March 2019.Retrieved12 February2021.
- ^ab"After Killing Them, I Felt Like Maharana Pratap".Tehelka.1 September 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 7 December 2012.Retrieved29 August2014.
- ^"Tehelka:: Free. Fair. Fearless".Archive.tehelka. 10 August 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 15 September 2014.Retrieved18 August2014.
- ^"Ex-BJP Minister among 32 convicted of Naroda-Patiya massacre".The Hindu.29 August 2012.Retrieved30 August2012.
- ^"Naroda Patiya riots: BJP MLA Maya Kodnani sentenced to 28 yrs in jail, Babu Bajrangi life".Indian Express.31 August 2012.Retrieved29 August2014.
- ^"Naroda patiya case: Babu Bajrangi gets 7 day-bail, 14th time since conviction".Indian Express.28 October 2016.Retrieved8 February2021.
- ^PTI (17 January 2017)."Babu Bajrangi withdraws bail application from Gujarat HC".DNA India.Retrieved8 February2021.
- ^Hussain, Shaik Zakeer (7 March 2019)."Babu Bajrangi, The Terrorist Who Was Convicted For Killing Muslims In Gujarat In 2002, Granted Bail By Supreme Court".The Cognate.Retrieved8 February2021.
- ^Bunsha, Dionne (29 December 2006)."A serial kidnapper and his 'mission'".Frontline.Retrieved8 February2021.