The Haryana Police Monday booked 12 persons, including former BJP MLA Naresh Kaushik, for the murder of state INLD chief Nafe Singh Rathee a day earlier. Hours later, the state government, under fire from the Opposition, decided to hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In the state Assembly, the Congress, led by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, slammed the ruling BJP-JJP coalition government, calling the incident the state’s first “political murder”. The FIR, though, states that the killing was the fallout of a land dispute, and the accused and the victim were on the opposite ends of a court case.
Based on a complaint by Nafe Singh’s nephew Rakesh, police have filed an FIR that names ex-BJP MLA Kaushik; Bahadurgarh municipal council chairperson Saroj Rathee’s husband Ramesh Rathee and her relatives Karambir Rathee and Ramesh Rathee; former minister Mange Ram Rathee’s son Satish Numberdar and grandson Gaurav, and others.
Rakesh has stated that he was at the wheel of a Fortuner vehicle when Nafe Singh and the other occupants came under fire. Rakesh told the police that he had spotted an i20 vehicle following his SUV, but had to stop at a railway crossing.
“When we stopped, the assailants surrounded our SUV and said they would teach us a lesson… One of them came to me and said they were leaving me alive so I can go back and tell everybody that anyone who dares depose in court… would be killed. I saw that my uncle (Nafe Singh) and (a member of his security team) Jai Kishan had died while Sanjeet was in serious condition,” his complaint states.
Nafe Singh and five others were facing an abetment to suicide case registered in January 2023, in connection with the death of a Jhajjar-based BJP leader and Mange Ram’s son Jagdish Nambardar.
Haryana police sources told The Indian Express that they have detained some suspects and are interrogating them. Jhajjar’s Deputy Commissioner Capt Shakti Singh said, “The case will soon be transferred to the CBI. We are working on a few leads. Four-five teams are out in the field working on specific inputs. CCTV footage is also being studied and suspects are being questioned.”
Superintendent of Police (Jhajjar) Arpit Jain also said that “five teams are working on this case”.
Inside the Assembly, soon after Question Hour, Hooda said: “It is a very serious matter, a former MLA has been shot dead, and those who stand booked are also political people. There should be a detailed discussion on the law and order situation in Haryana on the floor of the House.”
After Speaker Gian Chand Gupta allowed a work adjournment motion on the issue of law and order, various Congress MLAs pointed out that Nafe Singh had raised apprehensions of a threat to his life and sought security cover, which he did not get. Instead, he got private security guards.
Home Minister Anil Vij responded that “if the entire House is only satisfied with a CBI probe, then I assure the members that we will hand over the case to the CBI”.
Vij said it was wrong to say that the entire law and order machinery in the state has collapsed. “Even (Nafe Singh) Rathee’s nephew, who has got the FIR lodged, named his political opponents as responsible for his killing. Whosoever they may be, we won’t spare those responsible for this killing,” Vij said.
Congress leader Geeta Bhukkal said the fact that the attack took place in Jhajjar district on a day the CM was there was a reflection of the lawlessness in Haryana. “Look at the confidence of these criminals,” she said. “It is alright that an entire police force has been deployed to prevent farmers from entering, but that doesn’t mean you leave the state to such criminals.”
Congress MLA Aftab Ahmad said, “He was state chief of a political party. He had demanded security from the chief minister and home minister, but it wasn’t provided. Why?”
Vij responded, “The issue is being raised that (Nafe Singh) Rathee had sought security but it wasn’t given. It is correct that he had sought security. He had written a letter to the Superintendent of Police, Jhajjar. It was registered and investigated. A man in Kolkata who was threatening him — that man was arrested and action was taken against him.”
“As far as my office is concerned, I did not receive any letter from Nafe Singh Rathee in this matter. Had any such letter come to my office, action would surely have been taken,” Vij said.
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