M A I N   N E W S

Police guns down student
Bhiwani tense; markets, educational institutions remain closed
Raman Mohan
Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, November 3
A police party from Hansi in Hisar district shot dead a student mistaking him for a notorious criminal on the Dadri-Tosham bypass here early this morning.

The deceased, Kuldeep (22), was on his way home on a motorcycle along with his two friends after attending a marriage in a nearby village. On the way, a police Gypsy was parked on the roadside. The policemen signalled them to stop, but fearing a challan for triple riding they sped away. The police gave a chase and stopped them about a kilometre ahead.

According to the deceased’s friends Mahender and Krishan, as the cops got out of the Gypsy, head constable Karamveer allegedly accosted Kuldeep and shot him in the forehead from his carbine. The cop also allegedly fired a shot into the air.

They said the policemen realised their blunder when they revealed their own as well as Kuldeep’s identities. Fearing reprisals, the cops fled from the scene. Kuldeep was a final-year student of the local Vaish College. He was due to get married later this month.

It is learnt that the police party had been tracking the mobile phone of a criminal, Dara Singh, who was wanted in connection with a dacoity in Hansi. This criminal’s village is about 2 km from the spot where Kuldeep was shot.

The cops had been informed that Dara Singh was coming on a motorcycle on the Tosham-Dadri bypass wearing a black shirt. Unfortunately, the deceased was also wearing a black shirt. The cops mistook him for Dara Singh and shot him dead without ascertaining his identity.

Kuldeep’s friends informed his family members about the incident. Kuldeep was brought to the local General Hospital around 1 am where he was declared brought dead. The family then lodged an FIR with the police, which, after initial inquiries, found out that Kuldeep was shot dead by a police party from Hansi.

A case of murder under Section 302 of the IPC was registered against SHO of the Hansi Sadar police station Krishan Lal and seven other cops this morning. The cop who shot Kuldeep has been arrested on a murder charge.

Tension gripped the town as a big crowd gathered at the hospital early in the morning. Some youths set a police motorcycle afire at Ghantaghar Chowk. The police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the mob. There were other sporadic incidents of violence near the hospital too, but the situation was brought under control quickly.

The administration, fearing a backlash, ordered closure of all educational institutions. All local markets also remained closed today. Kuldeep was cremated around noon after which the tension began to ease.

Haryana chief parliamentary secretary Dharamveer announced that the family would be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and one member of the family would be given a job. However, the deceased’s family members refused to accept both offers and instead sought punishment for the erring policemen.

Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal visited the house of the deceased. He sought a CBI probe into the incident. He criticised the Hooda government for its failure to check police excesses.

Meanwhile, local students’ leaders have appealed to fellow students all over Haryana not to attend classes in schools and colleges tomorrow in protest against the incident. The meeting was chaired by Sampuran Singh of the Yuva Shanti Sena.

Accidental firing: SP
Tribune News Service

Hisar, November 3
District police chief Anil Rao has described the death of Kuldeep at Bhiwani by a police party from Hansi in this district early this morning as “accidental”.

Talking to mediapersons here today, he said a police party was on the lookout for a criminal, Dara Singh, who was wanted in a case of dacoity that took place in Sorkhi village in May last. The police had set up two check-posts to nab the notorious criminal.

Kuldeep and “three other youths” who were riding a motorcycle did not stop at the check-post. The police party sent a wireless message to the next check-post where the youths were stopped. When the police party from the first check-post arrived there minutes later, a shot was fired from the carbine of a cop accidentally as their vehicle hit a pothole, he said.

The SP said he regretted the incident that resulted in the death of an innocent young man.