Arson at Capt Abhimanyu’s house: 51 charged with sedition

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charged 51 persons with sedition, rioting, attempt to murder, dacoity, assault and other charges for their alleged involvement in arson at the residence of Haryana finance minister Capt Abhimanyu during the Jat agitation in February 2016.

The chargesheet was filed in the court of CBI judicial magistrate Kapil Rathi.

Hearing on this matter is fixed for July 16 when chargesheet is likely to be marked to special CBI court of Jagdeep Singh, who will then start the next procedure.

As per the chargesheet, Rohtak-based advocates Manoj Duhan, Sandeep Rathi and Sudeep Kalkal, state youth president of All India Jat Reservation agitation Samiti were the key conspirators behind the attack. Mahender Singh Hooda and Dharmender alias Dharma were the other accused.

Kalkal and Duhan are still in judicial custody while most of the accused, named in the chargesheet, are out on bail.

WELL-PLANNED CONSPIRACY

The chargesheet reveals that the residence and office of the finance minister located at Sector-14, Rohtak, came under attack during Jat agitation on February 19 and 20, 2016.

The accused attacked and vandalised the house as part of a wellplanned criminal conspiracy, the chargesheet further said.

They even made an attempt to murder the family members of the minister present in the house at the time of attack.

It was stated that an alleged loss of ₹14 crore (approximately) was caused during the attack.

The CBI took over the investigation in these cases on the request of the Haryana government and consequent orders from the Centre’s department of personnel and training.

The case was registered in October, 2016.

The chargesheet has been filed under Section 120B(criminal conspiracy), 124-A (sedition) Section 148, 149 (rioting), Section 186 and 188 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions and disobedience of orders), Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 353 (assault), Section 395 (dacoity ) and Section 452 (house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.