The Tribune March 12, 1999
Industrialist's son shot at
From Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
GURGAON, March 11 — The threat call phenomenon today took a new turn when a son of a prominent industrialist was shot at from close range by two unidentified car borne miscreants. Following pressure from the business circles after the incident, Chairman, Haryana Bureau of Public Enterprises and prominent BJP leader, Sitaram Singla, announced that the CBI would probe into threat calls.
Doctors at Kalyani Hospital here attending on the injured son of the industrialist, Mr R.K. Jain, said he was out of danger.
While the BJP leader, having the rank of a Cabinet Minister, announced the handing over the threat call phenomenon to the CBI, the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) joined hands to launch an agitation along with various associations and groups to press for action against the miscreants.
This was decided at an informal meeting of the leaders and members from trade and industry at Kalyani Hospital. It was decided to give a call for a bandh in Gurgaon and a "chakka jaam" on national highway No 8 for March 13.
Significantly, the firing took after a meeting of the Director General of Police, Haryana, Mr S.K. Sethy, with the police authorities of the Gurgaon range yesterday. The meeting, which stretched till evening, focussed on the threat call incidents.
Frayed tempers in the business circles were apparent as the shooting took place near a police had not been able to arrest the culprits.
The anger was amply demonstrated when a number of industrialists and traders walked out of a meeting convened by the district administration at the residence of Deputy Commissioner, Mr Krishan Kumar, after the firing incident. The DIG, Gurgaon range and the district police chief were present at the meeting. Industrialists, who did not wish to be quoted, said they staged the walkout because the district authorities had failed to give concrete assurances.
Incidentally, Mr R.K. Jain was one of the businessmen receiving threat calls to pay money. The demand for money was Rs 20 lakh. Mr Jain and his family had migrated from Punjab in 1985, during the hey days of terrorism.
At a meeting convened by Mr Singla, attended by businessmen, a demand was made for action against the Superintendent of Police.
The firing took place when Mr Jain's son was about to go to his factory. The miscreants waylaid him before firing at him. According to the injured, about six rounds were fired at his car.
At the meeting at Kalyani Hospital, the local Congress MLA, Mr Dharamvir Gabba and district president of the INLD, Mr Gopi Chand Ghellot, decided to participate in the agitation against the government on the issue.
It is the third incident of firing on the family members of those who had received threat calls in threat past one month.
According to sources, about 25 persons had received several such calls for the payment of extortion money.
|
