‘Masterminds’ at large

Over 72 hours after violence and arson at the Manesar car plant of the Maruti Suzuki India Limited, in which a senior company manager was killed, the main accused remained at large.

Over 72 hours after violence and arson at the Manesar car plant of the Maruti Suzuki India Limited, in which a senior company manager was killed, the main accused remained at large.

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The police have arrested 91 workers but the main accused and the executive members of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union — believed to be the brain behind the entire episode — continue to evade arrest.

Meanwhile, the Gurgaon police have claimed 'vital leads' into the investigation.

Gurgaon police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the violence. It booked 500-600 workers, including the union leaders, on July 18 and arrested 91 workers the next day after conducting raids in Manesar and neighbouring villages.

However, 13 union leaders including Ram Meher, the president, and general secretary Samarjeet Singh who allegedly instigated the mob are still at large.

Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava said on Saturday that the Haryana government has not set a time frame to complete to the investigation. "But it is in the interest of the Haryana government that the investigation is concluded fast and truth is uncovered as Maruti Suzuki is the flagship company of the industry in this state," he added.

DCP (East) Maheshwar Dayal said, "We have formed 10 teams to raid places in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana to nab the absconding accused, including the union leaders." The hutments where the Maruti workers stayed in the neighbouring villages have been found locked, he added.

The SIT had sent a team to the plant to retrieve the CCTV footage. Scores of CCTV cameras as well as the Digital Video Reorder (DVR) were burnt in the fire as the agitating workers had set the security control room ablaze.

The team of officers from the cyber crime wing of the Gurgaon police would try to revive the burnt equipment and retrieve whatever information they had. Dayal said the CCTV footage could offer great help in identifying the accused and could be a vital evidence.