The Tribune, January 28, 2003

DREADED CRIMINAL’S MURDER
Cops relieved assailants did their job
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 27
The police have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough in the alleged murder of a dreaded criminal, Krishan Mehndipuria, who was shot dead by some unidentified car-borne miscreants near Nahri village, about 25 km from here, on Friday evening. But the police here are relieved at his death as he had been a tough nut to crack. According to a report, the autopsy was conducted at PGIMS, Rohtak, and the body was cremated at his native village of Mehndipur along the bank of the Yamuna near here on Saturday evening.

The injured relative of Krishan, Anand, who is undergoing treatment in the local civil hospital, has told the police that he is an employee of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. He had come to the village on a two-month leave for the marriage of his brother Daya Kishan’s daughter, fixed for February 20. On the day of the murder, he along with Daya Kishan, Krishan Mehndipuria and some others went to Narela for purchasing household articles for the marriage. After the purchase, Daya Kishan along with other family members left Narela in a tempo but he and Krishan Mehndipuria returned in a car, Anand told the police. When they reached near Nahri village, a blue vehicle arrived at the spot and its occupants started firing indiscriminately at them. Thereupon, Krishan pushed him out of the car and tried to speed away but the alleged assailants chased him and shot him dead after some distance. Anand, however, failed to identify the assailants as no one got down from their car.

Krishan Mehndipuria, it may be recalled, was the son of Randhir Singh of Mehndipur village and he joined the police as a constable. He resigned in 1995 after he killed one member of a rival group that murdered a member of his family. Later, he was arrested but he managed to escape from the custody of the police. He was involved in a number of cases relating to murder, loot, dacoity, extortion and kidnapping registered in different police stations in Haryana and elsewhere. Krishan came into limelight when he allegedly kidnapped a District Sessions Judge, Mr Nariala. The police had made a series of attempts to arrest him but failed. He was a member of the gang led by Rajesh Chitania but he left it after some differences cropped up between the duo. Last year, Rajesh Chitania was killed in an encounter with the police and it was suspected that Krishan was involved in the encounter. It is alleged that Krishan had been engaged in extorting money from several businessmen, industrialists and other wealthy persons regularly. He was named in a case of extortion about two months ago and once he was arrested by the Civil Lines police, it is stated.