Haryana Police on Monday booked Panipat SP Manisha Choudhary and two sub-inspectors for allegedly abetting the suicide of a former Municipal Councillor Harish Sharma, State Additional Director General of Police (ADGP, law and order) Navdeep Singh Virk said. confirmed this while talking to ‘The Pioneer’ over the phone.
Sources said that Panipat Police had earlier booked Harish Sharma for some violations in selling firecrackers on Diwali night and allegedly misbehaving with cops. Sharma, who has been a councillor for the three consecutive terms in Panipat district, jumped into the western Yamuna Canal passing through Gohana Road after being allegedly harassed by the local police in connection with the above case at around 9.15 am on November 19. To save him, his associate Rajesh Sharma jumped into the canal and died from drowning.
Harish Sharma’s family members alleged that he had jumped into a canal on November 19 after being allegedly harassed by police in connection with the case. His family member said Sharma was upset after a police case was registered against him, his councillor daughter and eight others.
Sharma’s daughter alleged that her father was harassed by the SP and the two other police officials. Despite the order of a Haryana Minister on November 17, the police continued to pressurise her family on November 18 night. CCTV footage also showed four police vehicles roamed around her house on the night of November 18, she claimed.
Soon after this incident came into light, State Home Minister Anil Vij had constituted a SIT under the chairmanship of ADGP Sandeep Khirwar to probe the matter. SIT gathered evidence for two days and took statements of all those involved in the case. CCTV footage was also given to SIT.
Meanwhile, to search the bodies, the local police launched a search operation in the canal. Later SDRF personnel were also pressed in to search the bodies. Bodies of Ramesh Sharma were recovered from the Banjhaul Canal on Friday. Harish Sharma’s body was brought out from the canal on Sunday.
Sharma’s relatives and local residents had placed the body on the NH-44 and had refused to cremate him until a case was lodged against the SP and the two other police officials.
On Monday, former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda and Congress leader Randeep Surjewala along with BJP leaders met and consoled the family members. Demanding justice to the aggrieved families, Hooda raised the question of deteriorating law and order situation in the State. Surjewala had hit out at the Haryana government over the incident, saying Sharma was “forced to take the extreme step due to the alleged harassment by the state authorities”.
State Police receiving all-round pressure, a case has been registered under Sections 306, 34 of IPC against Panipat SP Manisha Choudhary, Tehsil Camp Police post in-charge Baljit and SI Mahabir at Model Town police station on Monday in the suicide case of former councilor Harish Sharma and his associate Rajesh Sharma. No one has been arrested so far.
