Ror community members on Monday took out a protest march in Karnal demanding a CBI probe into the killings of two youths in an alleged fake encounter early this month.
Karnal resident Harsh, who belonged to the Ror community, was killed along with Kaithal’s Birbal in an encounter on August 7. While the cops claim that the duo was involved in the murder of 28-year-old Veeru Valmiki on August, the community members have been alleging that the encounter was staged.
The protesters also demanded action against the police personnel involved in the encounter and the resignation of Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand over his statements. The president said that if the demands were not accepted by Monday night, the community will organise another mahapanchayat in Taraori on August 30, and protest during the programme of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.
The community held a mahapanchayat under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya Ror Mahasabha at Ror Dharamshala near the old bus stand and marched towards the mini secretariat to meet the deputy commissioner. The protesters led by its president Balkar Singh Pundri were stopped metres away from the secretariat at traffic lights,where they decided to stage a dharna.
Later, Anand Kumar Sharma reached among them and Pundri handed over a memorandum to him, addressed to the Haryana governor. At their earlier gatherings in Kurukshetra and Karnal, the community has been questioning the very basis of the encounter and its need, when the accused, they claim, were in police custody.
{{/usCountry}}Later, Anand Kumar Sharma reached among them and Pundri handed over a memorandum to him, addressed to the Haryana governor. At their earlier gatherings in Kurukshetra and Karnal, the community has been questioning the very basis of the encounter and its need, when the accused, they claim, were in police custody.
{{/usCountry}}Following their earlier meeting with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, in the presence of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harvinder Kalyan and Pundri MLA Satpal Jamba, the state government handed over the investigation of the case lodged at Madhuban police station to the state crime branch, led by ADGP Sanjay Kumar.
President Pundri expressed dissatisfaction over the decision and said that the CBI or some other independent agency should probe the case. Vice-president of the mahasabha, Sukhdayal Mehla, said that an inquiry conducted by police officials will not build any confidence among them.