The Hindu : National : ‘Encounter death’ becomes a major issue

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National

‘Encounter death’ becomes a major issue

Staff Correspondent

Opposition Congress seeks CBI probe, to raise the issue in the Uttarakhand Assembly

DEHRA DUN: This past Friday’s encounter where Dehra Dun police gunned down Ranvir Singh, the 23-year-old MBA graduate from Ghaziabad in the Raipur forests here alleging that he was a one of the three criminals who had earlier that day attacked a Sub-Inspector and escaped with his service pistol is turning into a major issue with the Opposition Congress seeking a CBI probe and gearing up to raise the issue in the State Assembly’s budget session beginning July 13.

Ranvir Singh’s body was cremated at his native village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday with villagers and family members seeking a CBI probe as they did not have confidence in the CB-CID probe ordered by the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

The Samajwadi Party general secretary and the Jat Maha Sabha have also cried foul and sought action against the erring cops.

The human rights crusader, Avdhash Kaushal has threatened to move the Uttarakhand High Court and the National Human Rights Commission if the State failed to book the erring cops within three days.

Impartial probe

The case has been transferred to the CB-CID to facilitate an impartial probe and a magisterial enquiry ordered immediately as per the NHRC guidelines and action would be taken against the cops if found guilty, a senior Home Department official said.

The Inspector General of Police, Garhwal range, M.A. Ganapati rubbished claims of the victims family that Ranvir had come here to take up a job with Kodak Mahendra as the company had denied hiring anyone with that name.

Ranvir and his two accomplices had checked into a dharamshala and were moving in Mohini Road area when stopped by Sub Inspector Gopal Dutt Bhatt on Friday. Instead of showing him the papers the trio attacked him, broke his finger and escaped with his service pistol in front of several local residents.

The Sub-Inspector’s life was saved by a local Samaritan who immediately fired in the air from his revolver forcing the criminals to flee. The trio when cornered in the Raipur forests during the combing operation fired upon the police party who returned the fire killing one and injuring two who escaped, Mr Ganapati said.

The injuries on Ranvir’s head, face and chin as reported in the post mortem report might have been inflicted during the scuffle with the Sub-Inspector and the 10 to 12 gun shots were those fired by the police, the IG said adding that the motorcycle recovered had fake Haryana number plates.

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