The Tribune, January 30, 2003

COMPLACENT COPS
Murdered child’s parents had paid ransom
R.D. Sapra

Sonepat, January 29
A large number of residents and parents of Ankit, a Class VI student of Rishikul Vidyapeeth, Sonepat, called on the Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, here yesterday and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the ghastly murder of Ankit after his kidnapping. According to a report, the SP is reported to have assured them the culprits would be brought to book within a week’s time.

Meanwhile, the parents of the victim, Ankit, have disclosed they had given Rs 5 lakh as ransom amount to the alleged kidnappers but they had killed Ankit and thrown the body, wrapped in a gunny bag, into a well near Barwasni village. They charged that if the police had taken prompt action against the kidnappers, Ankit’s life could have been saved.

The parents also pointed out the alleged kidnappers had demanded Rs 20 lakh as ransom from them but they had declined to give this huge amount. They said they had immediately informed the police about taking action against the alleged kidnappers.

Ankit, it may be recalled, was allegedly kidnapped by two unidentified scooter-borne youth when he came out from school on January 10 last after the closure of the institution. Subsequent to this, Ankit’s parents received telephonic calls from the alleged kidnappers, demanding a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. The last call was received on January 12.

There is a serious allegation that the police officials entrusted with the job of inquiry into the kidnapping had rounded up a number of persons. They were allegedly let off one by one after getting a huge amount as ‘nazrana’ from them.

A high-level inquiry into complaints against these police officials was likely to expose their misdeeds and the story behind the inquiry conducted by them, the distraught parents alleged.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP), Mr Rajiv Jain, has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Sonepat district. He alleged the police administration seemed to have collapsed as it had failed to take deterrent action against the dreaded criminals and anti-social elements operating in this region.

In a signed press statement issued here today, Mr Jain cited the ghastly murder of Ankit and Sheela Devi Malik, a social worker, and said the police had so far failed to apprehend the culprits involved in these cases.

This incident, he said, had caused panic among the school-going children who had started feeling insecure. He alleged the ruling party politicians were shielding criminals and anti-social elements for their selfish ends.

Referring to the murder of Sheela Devi Malik, the HVP leader said Ms Malik was shot dead around noon when police officers from Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh were attending a joint meeting called by the Director-General of Police, Haryana, Mr M. S. Malik, to chalk out a joint strategy to curb the activities of inter-state criminals, smugglers, proclaimed offenders anti-national elements.