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Mob on the rampage after murder in Haryana town

Photo: PTI

Out in strength: Police personnel deployed in full strength at Gohana near Sonepat in Haryana on Tuesday in the wake of mob violence in the town.

CHANDIGARH: Police resorted to cane charge at three places in Gohana town of Haryana on Tuesday after mobs, apparently belonging to the Balmiki community, went on the rampage. They hurled stones at the cops and allegedly indulged in arson to protest against the murder of Rakesh Kumar alias Lara, shot dead on Monday night by three unidentified assailants said to belong to the Jat community.

Several policemen and protesters were injured in the clashes. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the town.

Rakesh was one of the accused in the August 2005 murder in Gohana of a Jat, Baljit Siwaich, and that killing had sparked off caste violence. Nearly 100 houses belonging to the Balmiki community had been torched by miscreants. The Haryana Government had handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Rakesh Kumar had been acquitted of murder charges by a CBI court recently.

According to reports reaching the State headquarters here, three armed men fired six bullets at Lara, killing him on the spot near Samata Chowk late on Monday night. The assailants later vanished. The victim was rushed to hospital but died on the way.

There was tension in the town after Balmikis gathered on hearing the news and some of them even set ablaze a police check-post and damaged several buses at the Gohana bus stand.

Trouble began afresh on Tuesday morning after Rakesh’s body was brought from Rohtak after post-mortem. The protestors also blocked traffic on the Sonepat-Jind highway and other roads. This led to clashes with the police force which had been rushed from Karnal, sources said. Several cops were injured in the stone-throwing. Police, however, denied reports that a truck had been set on fire and its driver killed by the mob.

Fearing a repeat of the 2005 violence, shopkeepers and business establishments in the town downed their shutters.

However, Additional Director General Police (Law and Order) V.B. Singh said that the situation was under control and heavy police deployment had been made to ward off any untoward incident.

While remaining “silent” about the cane charge, he claimed that some people had tried to jam the traffic this morning after Rakesh’s body was brought in from Rohtak following post-mortem, but the police acted swiftly and brought the situation under control. About the death of a 60-year-old, he said the old man had been killed accidentally by a moving vehicle and his death had nothing to do with the violence emanating from the murder of Rakesh.

He also claimed that life in the town was normal and people celebrated Raksha Bandhan with traditional gaiety. The town has been divided into eight sectors under the supervision of duty magistrates. Eight companies of the police have been rushed to maintain law and order.

Mr. Singh asserted that Rakesh’s killers would be arrested soon.

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