Rohtak court rejects petition against Abhay Chautala, 5 others
ROHTAK: The court of additional district and sessions judge Ritu YK Behl on Monday rejected a revision petition filed against INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and five others in connection with the Meham murder case.
The court has rejected a revision petition against Chautala, the then DIG Shamsher Singh, the then Karnal ASP Suresh Chander, the then Bhiwani DSP Sukhdev Raj Rana, Bhupinder alias Bhupi of Dariyapur village, and Ajit Singh of Gilhakhera village in a case pertaining to the murder of a Hari Singh of Kharak Jatan village in Rohtak during the Meham by-elections in 1990, which was fought between the then Haryana chief minister OP Chautala and independent nominee Anand Singh Dangi.
Vinod Ahlawat, a counsel for Chautala, said that Hari Singh’s brother Ramphal, a former ASI with the Haryana Police, had filed a revision petition against Abhay and five others in Rohtak court in September 2018 after his complaint in a Meham court was dismissed in June, 2018.
“During hearing, two eyewitnesses - Ajit Singh of Rohtak, and the then peon Ram Kishan of Bainsi village - stated that Chautala was not present when the incident took place on February 28, 1990, a day after voting was conducted in few villages of Meham constituency. Sessions judge Ritu YK Behl asked Ramphal as to why he did not file a complaint against Chautala for 27 years. Today, the judge rejected the revision petition,” he added.
The case
The 1990 Meham assembly bypoll has become synonymous to the mayhem that followed when Devi vacated Haryana chief minister’s chair and resigned as an MLA from Meham to become deputy prime minister.
His son OP Chautala became Haryana chief minister and Devi Lal fielded him as a candidate in Meham bypoll to continue as the CM, rejecting the decision of Meham Chaubisi to field his close confidant and the then chairman of the Haryana Services Selection Board (HSSB), Anand Singh Dangi.
When Devi Lal refused to back out Chautala, the Meham Chaubisi pitted Dangi against the then CM OP Chautala in the elections.
The polls were held on February 27, 1990 but eight booths went to repolling due to irregularities and rigging.
The next day, six persons were killed and 25 others were injured after police allegedly fired at residents of Bainsi village when they were protesting against Abhay.After the revision petition was rejected by the local court, INLD general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala said that the court has given him a clean chit and proved that Congress leader Anand Singh Dangi is trying to malign his image for over 30 years now.
Two eyewitnesses - Ajit Singh of Rohtak, and the then peon Ram Kishan of Bainsi village -stated that Chautala was not present when the incident took place, a day after voting was conducted in few villages of Meham constituency.
VINOD AHLAWAT, a counsel for Chautala