Gurugram: The police in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri are facing allegations of shooting at an accused in an attempted honour killing and of taking Rs 10 lakh as bribe for “not implicating more persons” in the case, a charge denied by the district police chief.
Family members of Sonu, who was allegedly shot at by the police, along with those named in an FIR for the attempted honour killing, are demanding the registration of an FIR against “erring” policemen.
The families have the backing of Sangwan Khap, which is headed by Charkhi Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan who supports the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government, and Satgama Khap. Both khaps comprise villages under Charkhi Dadri district.
On 14 November last year, angered by his daughter Sakshi’s marriage against his wishes, Kuldeep Singh from Pilana village of Rohtak district allegedly barged into her marital home with some others and pumped eight bullets into her and also shot at her husband Mohit at Unn village in Charkhi Dadri.
Both Sakshi and Mohit are Jats, but they are from different gotras and villages.
Sakshi’s father Kuldeep, her cousin Akash and four-five others were involved in the attack, according to the FIR lodged by Mohit. While Sakshi survived the attack, the police had rounded up Kuldeep’s family members as the main accused went absconding.
Deputy SP, Charkhi Dadri, Subhash Chander told The Print Friday that the police has so far arrested Kuldeep, Paramjeet, Sonu and Ankit. He said that though the name of Akash was mentioned in the FIR lodged by Sakshi’s husband, his mobile’s location was found to be at a far-off place when the attack took place.
According to a complaint submitted Tuesday to Charkhi Dadri SP Nikita Gahlaut by Sonu’s father Bijender Singh, the family members of Kuldeep, Sonu and Paramjit handed the trio over to the police in the presence of several people on 18 November. ThePrint has accessed a copy of the letter.
The complaint alleges: “On the next day, inspector Balwan Singh and ASI Manjit Dhaka brought Kuldeep to Imlota village after making him call us that we needed to meet the police for the case. The policemen told us that if we pay Rs 10 lakh, they won’t implicate any other person in the case. They also promised that those arrested won’t be tortured. Otherwise, the FIR (in Sakshi’s case) was against Kuldeep and four-five others, and the police could make more arrests… We somehow paid Rs 10 lakh to Balwan Singh.”
Bijender adds that the next day, he learnt from the newspaper that his son Sonu was shot in the leg and then admitted to PGIMS, Rohtak. “When I met Sonu, he told me that the policemen took him to a canal on the way from Rohtak to Ranila at 10 pm on 18 November and told him to run away. When he refused, he was blindfolded, a bandage was tied below his knee and he was told to spread his legs. The moment he did so, the policemen fired at his left leg,” he claims.
“The next day, the police lodged a false FIR against Sonu alleging that they caught him after an encounter when he tried to run away after firing.”
Bijender alleges after the 14 November shooting, the police took away Kuldeep’s wife, mother, sister, brother-in-law and other kin and kept them under illegal detention for one night. They were let off on the assurance of helping the police arrest the culprits, he adds.
On Tuesday, SP Gahlaut suspended Balwan Singh and Manjit Dhaka.
Balwan Singh, who is in charge of the crime investigation agency of Charkhi Dadri district, could not be contacted over phone. He had lodged an FIR on 19 November regarding the shoutout involving Sonu.
The FIR, which ThePrint has seen, was filed under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the performance of duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant from the performance of duty), and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and sections of the Arms Act.
Balwan Singh alleges that on 18 November, he was at Ranila bus stand with ASI Tej Singh, three head constables and a driver for probe in Sakshi’s case when he got the tip-off that Sonu was near a canal with the pistol used in the 14 November shooting.
“When the police party reached the spot, we found a youth who started walking towards the opposite direction speedily on noticing us. When we asked him to stop, he fired at the police. I ducked and saved myself from the bullet and returned fire in defence. The bullet hit him on left leg, and he fell to the ground. On being demanded identity, the youth introduced himself as Bijender’s son Sonu alias Kala, a resident of Pilana village,” the inspector states in the FIR.
Dharambir Singh, BJP MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, met the agitating family members Thursday, as well as SP Gahlaut and district commissioner Mandeep Kaur.
On Thursday, local MLA Sombir Sangwan told ThePrint that he met Home minister Anil Vij a day before and sought his intervention. When ThePrint contacted Vij, the home minister said he had instructed the DGP to get the allegations brought against the district police probed by senior officers.
Sanjeev Takshak, an advocate and spokesperson for the protesters, told ThePrint over phone Thursday that the MP and the MLA met with Kaur and Gahlaut and that they had assured the protesters of a fair probe.
“The protesters have made it clear that they won’t end their dharna till they get justice,” said Takshak.
Also Read: Haryana village backs parents held for killing daughter. ‘They warned, she didn’t listen’
SP calls allegations ‘absurd’
Contacted by ThePrint Thursday, SP Gahlaut slammed the allegations against the two officers as “absurd and baseless”, and pointed out that they were demoralising for the police who saved Sakshi after she was shot by her father and his accomplices.
“On 14 November, when we were alerted that Kuldeep abducted his daughter Sakshi from her marital home in Unn village after firing at her husband, the cops chased the accused. It was due to the hot pursuit that Kuldeep dumped Sakshi midway near Ranila village. She had eight bullet injuries. The police immediately rushed her to PGIMS in Rohtak,” she said.
“Sakshi’s life was saved, but she is still under treatment. Sonu was arrested when we got information that he was trying to tamper with evidence by destroying the weapon used to fire at Sakshi. Sonu fired at the police and, in defence, the police shot at his leg,” the SP explained.
Gahlaut said the fact that a complaint against the police was brought almost two months after the episode showed that it was false and fabricated.
The SP added that since the allegations levelled by the protesters were grave, she had already ordered deputy SP Subhash Chander to probe the shootout and bribery charges, and suspended the two policemen named in the complaint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: Stolen glances to stolen lives: Stories behind the ‘honour killings’ of Rajasthan, Haryana