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Two guns handed to CBI for Gohana probe

Firearms were recovered from a place where a Jat `mahapanchayat' was held recently

SONEPAT: Haryana Police has handed over two firearms, allegedly stolen during the arson attack on Balmiki basti in Gohana town on August 31, to CBI officials probing the incident and the murder of a Jat financer on Aug 27 that sparked off the violence. The firarms were recovered from a place near the town's new Anaj Mandi where a Jat `mahapanchayat' was held recently and had been sealed and kept in the `maalkhana' (strong room) at a police station, police said today.

The weapons belonged to one Shivlal Balmiki and his brother and were allegedly stolen from their houses during the incidents of violence and arson in the Balmiki Colony, they said.

The CBI officials visited the spot from where the guns were recovered as well as the judicial complex and some other places for an on-the-spot study.

Sources said they also recorded the statements of some Dalits in connection with the Aug 31 incident though the CBI officials declined to say anything about the investigations. They would submit the inquiry report to the government after its completion, was all that they said.

Police also handed eight accused in the two cases - the murder of Baljit Singh of Garhwal village and torching of Dalit houses in Balmiki basti - to the CBI team today.

They are Radhe Shyam of Lath village, Manoj of Bhainswan Khurd, Rampal of Nonas Khera and Rajesh of Chhatehra in the case relating to burning of the Dalit houses and Shiv Lal, Jatinder alias Veeru, H Dass and Rajesh in Baljit murder case.

In its first two days of preliminary investigation, the team has been examining the CD and photographs taken by the media at the time of the toching of houses.

The administration has been giving relief to those whose houses were damaged in the fire, but some of other residents of the colony have also demanded relief to them as their houses were looted by the mob while toching the houses.

Gohana SDM Ajit Balaji Joshi said the rebuilding and renovation work of the damaged houses was on in full swing and expected to be completed within two weeks.

PTI

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Two guns handed to CBI for Gohana probe

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