Liquor shop burnt near school, police lathicharge mob
GURGAON:Demanding a CBI probe into the murder of eight-year old Ryan International School student and strict action against the school management, protesters on Sunday set a liquor vend in Bhondsi on fire.
The protesters had to face the ire of Gurgaon police, which was present in large numbers near the school premises. Over 15 persons were injured during the protests as police chased them on the road in front of the school.
Fire tenders were called in to douse the flames at the liquor vend, which was completely gutted in the fire. The police detained more than 20 people for creating a ruckus.
The protestors claimed the liquor vend was within 50 metres distance of the school and school bus staff often consumed liquor there. They first pelted stones inside the vend breaking bottles and then set it ablaze.
The authorities, however, measured the distance on Saturday and found it beyond 200 metres.
Locals said the presence of Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav also incited the crowd as they forcibly tried to enter the school.
“The police pounced upon the peaceful crowd and beat everyone mercilessly. They chased people inside the homes, shops and beat them wherever they found them,” said Ajay Jha, an angry resident of Shyam Kunj.
The police also carried out a lathicharge against residents of Ghamroj, who tried to block the Sohna highway near Bhondsi. Few students, and senior citizens including a retired army official was injured, while they protested in support of murder accused Ashok Kumar, who they claimed was being framed in the murder at the behest of school management.
“The Gurgaon police had to use mild lathicharge to disperse the agitators. The police detained over 20 protestors found agitating outside the school,” said Ravinder Kumar, PRO of Gurgaon police.
Police officials, however, said that crowd had become too large and violent and there was no choice but to use force to disperse them. “There could have been a bigger mishap had the cane charge not been carried out. There was a large traffic jam on Sohna road”, said a police official on anonymity.
The locals and particularly the media persons, who were subjected to the lathi charge alleged that police attacked them in a brutal manner and hit them for performing their job. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condemned the attack on journalists, and said that this kind of behaviour does not work in democracy. “The attack is an attempt to hide the failure of government”, said Hooda.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala also condemned the attack on media. He also demanded an apology from the chief minister and action against officials responsible for attack.
A number of media organisations and associations condemned the violence against journalists and demanded against officials. Haryana information minister Kavita Jain condemned the incident in the evening, and asked district administration to ensure the treatment of injured media persons.
THE LIQUOR VEND
Deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), East Gurgaon, Sneh Lata Yadav submitted her report to DC Vinay Pratap Singh on Sunday. Yadav also sent the copy of the report to the Haryana excise minister Abhimanyu Singh.“The liquor vend was targeted by the protestors but there was no reason to burn it or make an issue as it was within the permissible limit. The protestors tried to divert the murder case and focus on the liquor vend,” said an excise official.