The Tribune, March 19, 2000
CID officer visits murder sites
From Our Correspondent
SONEPAT, March 18 — The police has not achieved any breakthrough in the ghastly killing of four persons, including an officer of the Haryana Financial Corporation, by a gang of dacoits on Wednesday night in this city and nearby villages of Shadipur, Kabirpur and Fazilpur.
According to official sources, police parties have carried out raids on possible hideouts of dacoits belonging to the Bawaria gang at Baghpat, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur in U.P. and Delhi.
The sources say three police parties have been formed for apprehending the suspects. Each party is headed by an inspector. A special force is already here from Madhuban, Karnal, for patrolling the area during the night.
On the directive of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, a high-ranked officer of the CID, Haryana, Mr Reshan Singh, arrived here yesterday and inspected the sites of the killings. He is reported to have sought detail information from the district and police authorities.
Mr Resham Singh also convened a special meeting of police officials at the PWD (B & R) Rest House at Rai and directed them to tighten security.
Mr S.N. Solanki, a leader of the CPM, and Mr Rajiv Jain, General Secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party, today blamed the police for not taking appropriate steps to check the killings.
Talking to mediapersons, they demanded a high-level inquiry into the killings.
Former President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Dharampal Singh Malik today expressed grave concern at the deteriorating law and order situation in Sonepat district and said the recent killing of four persons in this city and its adjoining villages was the result of laxity on the part of the police.
He said had the police taken the killing of a person under similar circumstances under the Rai police station a fortnight ago seriously and initiated preventive measures, the tragedy would have been avoided.
Accompanied by numerous Congress leaders he paid a visit to the families of the victims in Sujan Singh Park, Shadipur, Kabirpur and Fazilpur villages. He demanded a sum of Rs five lakh as compensation and a government job to the next of kin of each victim.
Mr Ranbir Singh Dahiya, an advocate and president of the district unit of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), also visited the bereaved families and assured all assistance to them.
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