The Hindu : Front Page : Murder sparks violence in Haryana town

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Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Murder sparks violence in Haryana town

Rakesh Ahuja

— Photo: PTI

CASTE TENSIONS: This man fell unconscious when police dispersed a mob that turned violent at Gohana in Haryana on Tuesday. The mob was protesting against the killing of a Dalit youth by some unidentified people on Monday.

CHANDIGARH: There was palpable tension in Gohana town in Sonepat district on Tuesday after a youth belonging to the Balmiki community was killed by three unidentified assailants on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Rakesh Kumar, alias Lara. He was one of the accused in the August 2005 murder in Gohana of a Jat, Baljit Siwaich; that killing had led to casteist violence and nearly 100 houses of the Balmiki community were torched by miscreants. The Haryana government had handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rakesh Kumar was recently acquitted of murder charges by a CBI court.

Mobs dispersed

The police resorted to cane charge at several places in the town to disperse mobs, apparently belonging to the Balmiki community, who turned violent and pelted stones at the cops. According to reports reaching the State headquarters here, some people even allegedly set ablaze a police check-post and damaged several Haryana Roadways buses at the Gohana bus stand on Monday night. The protesters also blocked traffic on the Sonepat-Jind Highway.

Shopkeepers and business establishments downed their shutters fearing violence.

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

Mr. Singh said the killers of Rakesh would be arrested soon and teams had been formed to nab the culprits.

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