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Student’s ‘killing’ sparks violent protest in Bhiwani

Policemen staging a flag march in Bhiwani on Monday. Photo: PTI

CHANDIGARH: A college student was killed on Monday by the Hansi police near Bhiwani in an “encounter” triggering protest by students who came out on the streets of Bhiwani and clashed with the police, forcibly shutting down commercial and educational establishments. The authorities later claimed that the killing was by “mistake”.

The victim was identified as 22-year-old Kuldip, a final-year graduation student of Vaish College in Bhiwani.

According to reports reaching the State headquarters here, the young man was returning to Bhiwani after attending a social function late on Sunday night when some policemen belonging to Hansi in Hisar district, who had set up a “naka” to nab a gangster-criminal, reportedly shot him in the head.

A pall of gloom descended on the district headquarters as news of the killing reached the people. What made the “murder” even more pathetic was that the victim was to get married soon.

The mobs virtually surrounded the police station near the Clock Tower and even burnt vehicles and hurled stones at the cops. They were demanding immediate arrest of the policemen who shot Kuldip dead besides registration of a case of murder against them.

Meanwhile, the State Government is understood to have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the alleged killing. A senior district police officer claimed that case had been registered against eight personnel of the Hansi police and one constable had been arrested.

However, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharambir Singh announced that the State Government would give a “grant of Rs.5 lakh and employment to a member of the family of the victim. He said a similar grant of Rs.2 lakh would be given by the Bhiwani District Red Cross Society.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, now an MLA of Haryana Janhit Congress, visited the residence of the victim and demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the State where “utter lawlessness” prevailed. Haryana Janhit Congress president and former Bhiwani MP Kuldip Bishnoi also condemned the incident and charged that the State Government was responsible for “letting loose a reign of terror in the State through the police”.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal also condemned the brutal killing and demanded dismissal of the Hooda Government and imposition of President’s Rule in the State alleging “jungle Raj and total anarchy”.

INLD secretary-general Ajay Singh Chautala charged that the police had become uncontrollable and unruly and said it was highly condemnable that the police and the government were trying to protect the policemen by stating that it was an “accidental death”. He alleged that two weeks ago the Haryana police had killed Jaswir Singh Jassa, a resident of Dhakla village, in a “fake” encounter. All these incidents should be probed by a sitting judge of High Court, he demanded.

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Student’s ‘killing’ sparks violent protest in Bhiwani
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