Policeman shot dead, family seeks martyrdom status

SIKAR ATTACK SHO’s father blames police for murder, DGP orders teams to catch criminal who killed the cop

JAIPUR: The family of a 40-yearold station house officer (SHO) who was allegedly shot dead by a wanted criminal in Sikar district on Saturday night has demanded martyrdom for him.

“I demand that my son be declared a martyr,” SHO Mukesh Kanungo’s father, Sitaram, said.

Besides Mukesh, a constable was also killed in the attack. The two cops, who were attached to Fatehpur police station in Sikar, were allegedly gunned down by wanted criminal Ajay Choudhary when his sport utility vehicle (SUV) was stopped at a police check post for a search. Choudhary, said to be accompanied by Jagdeep alias Dhankar during the incident, has several robbery cases in Sikar and neighbouring areas against him.

The body of the SHO was taken to Jaipur for the last rites on Sunday, but his family refused to cremate him until the state government granted martyr status to him. The family relented after the police assured that a proposal seeking martyrdom for Kanungo would be sent on Monday. He was cremated at the Vidyadhar Nagar crematorium on Sunday evening, in the presence of top police officers.

His father, Sitaram, blamed the police for his son’s death.

“My son died due to the negligence of the police department. The two criminals are roaming freely in Sikar under the shelter of a few police men. Why couldn’t the police arrest the criminals?” asked Sitaram.

More than 100 station house officers (SHOs) from the state attended the funeral.

Earlier, Rajasthan director general of police OP Galhotra reached Sikar in the morning and instructed various police teams to the catch Choudhary and Jagdeep.

According to the police, Mukesh received a tip off that Ajay Choudhary and Jagdeep were in Fatehpur. They put up barricades and intercepted an SUV.

“When Mukesh along with other policemen started searching the vehicle, the criminals opened fire at them. Bullets pierced through Mukesh’s neck and constable Ramprakash sustained bullet injuries on the chest. They were taken to hospital where they died during treatment,” said Sikar police chief Pradeep Mohan Sharma. He said teams were trying to trace Choudhary and Jagdeep. A resident of Sikar, the constable is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged six and three, while Mukesh has a 12-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter.

Family members of the SHO and the constable will be provided a relief package as per the policy of the state police department. The package includes pension, gratuity, job for a family member and a minimum compensation of Rs 30 lakh, which varies depending on the rank. The Sikar police have also demanded a special package on the model of SHO Phool Mohammad, who was killed by a mob in Sawai Madhopur district in 2011, said a senior police officer who didn’t want to be named.