HC notice to Centre on security for victims’ kin

Chandigarh, The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Punjab Department of Home on a petition by the family of victims in the Abohar killing case. They were demanding a security cover from the central police.
The family alleged the local police have been raiding their houses to mount pressure for a compromise with the main accused instead of protecting them.
Taking up the petition filed through counsel Surinder Pal Singh Tinna, the high court also put the State Director-General of Police, Fazilka Senior Superintendent of Police and station house officer of Abohar police station on notice for December 24.
The notice came on the petition filed by deceased Bhim Tank’s parents Kapoor Chand and Kaushalya Devi and injured Gurjant Singh’s brother Ranjit Singh.
In their petition, the family submitted they did not have faith in the Punjab Police and that they were being pressurised by the police to strike a compromise with the influential accused.
They requested the high court to direct the central government to provide security cover by the Central Reserve Police Force.
The petitioners said Bhim Tank was working under Shiv Lal Doda, a “liquor baron” owning around 150 liquor vends in Abohar town. When Bhim Tank refused to work under Doda, he started nursing a grudge against Tank.
The petitioners alleged on December 11, Doda and his nephew Amit Doda hatched a conspiracy. Tank was called to a farmhouse on the pretext of arriving at a compromise.
After receiving the call, Tank informed his friend Gurjant Singh. Both went to the farmhouse. Tank was attacked and his hands and legs were chopped off. Gurjant Singh too was attacked.
It was also alleged that the police initially were reluctant to add the names of Shiv Lal Doda and Amit Doda in the case. After people staged a dharna, an offence under Sections 120-B of the IPC was added.