A tableau glorifying and supporting Shambhu Lal Raigar, who in in jail on the charge of killing and burning a Muslim labourer in Rajasthan, was taken out in a procession during Ram Navami celebrations in Jodhour last week.
The procession was organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
As per media reports, the procession also included a man dressed in the same attire as Raigar was seen in the video of the crime. The tableau also featured the murder weapon, an axe, identical to the one Raigar had used to hack the victim.
Hate crime
In December 2017, Raigar had hacked Mohammad Afrazul, a labourer from West Bengal’s Malda region, with an axe and later set him on fire, while claiming that it was done to avenge “Love Jihad” in Rajasthan’s Rajasamand region.
Raigar got the act recorded and he can be seen wearing a red shirt and white pants. He is seen leading the labourer to a spot, where he axed him and later burned his body.
The charred body of the Muslim labourer was later found by locals near a road in Rajsamand.
Later, Raigar had claimed in a local court in Rajasthan that he felt threatened by the victim’s family and therefore committed the murder.
He had also tried to link the offence with a six-year-old incident when he rescued a girl of his locality, who had eloped with a man from West Bengal.
However, his claims were refuted by the police during the investigation of the case.