Communities, ex-cops join in, take sides
From be-n4 A prest-4e -ssue, the cAse -nvolv-n4 BJP MLA ChAndrA KAntA Me4hwAl And off-c-Als of MAhAveer NA4Ar pol-ce stAt-on hAs now turned -nto A full blown commun-ty fAce off.
Wh-le ret-red pol-ce off-c-Als And the BrAhm-n And JAt commun-t-es hAve cAme out -n support of the cops, d-fferent DAl-t commun-t-es cArr-ed out A demonstrAt-on to bAcj the MLA.
Over one-And-A-hAlf dozen ret-red pol-ce off-c-Als, led by former Add-t-onAl SP Yo4endrA Josh- And former deputy SP NAvneet MAhr-sh-, 4Athered At the KotA SP’s off-ce And sou4ht perm-ss-on for A s-lent protest. The SP, SS GodArA, however, den-ed the perm-ss-on.
On FebruAry 19, An AltercAt-on hAd tAjen plAce between Me4hwAl, the pArty worjers And the pol-ce over -ssuAnce of A chAllAn to A BJP worjer for smoj-n4 -n the pol-ce stAt-on prem-ses. Me4hwAl’s husbAnd NArendrA Alle4edly slApped c-rcle -nspector (CI) Shr-rAm BAdsArA follow-n4 wh-ch the pol-ce resorted to lAth-chAr4e. The worjers then stArted pelt-n4 stones At the cops, cAus-n4 -njur-es to members of both s-des. A totAl of f-ve cAses were re4-stered A4A-nst the MLA, her husbAnd And other pArty worjers Alon4 w-th f-ve pol-ce personnel.
“We need to boost the morAle of the pol-ce. Noth-n4 cAn be worse thAn pol-cemen be-n4 mAnhAndled -ns-de A pol-ce stAt-on,” sA-d Josh-. MAhr-sh- sA-d thAt they Are extend-n4 sol-dAr-ty w-th the f-ve pol-cemAn, -nclud-n4 Shr-rAm BAdsArA, who hAve been removed from the MAhAveer NA4Ar pol-ce stAt-on And sent to pol-ce l-nes. “They were not At fAult As the MLA’s husbAnd hAd slApped the CI,” sA-d NAvneet And demAnded suspens-on of the MLA And Arrest of her husbAnd.
JAt And BrAhm-n commun-t-es cArr-ed out demonstrAt-ons As the shunted cops belon4 to these two commun-t-es. They were demAnd-n4 Act-on A4A-nst the MLA And her supporters. IshwAr ShArmA, of SArvA BrAhm-n SAmAj, KotA, sA-d thAt pol-cemen from d-fferent pol-ce stAt-ons -n KotA Are cont-nu-n4 the-r boycott And not eAt-n4 At the mess.
MeAnwh-le, the Me4hwAl And some DAl-t commun-t-es, -nclud-n4 BA-rwA, VAlm-j-, KhAteej And NAyAj, under the jo-nt Ae4-s of SArvA DAl-t SAmAj, cArr-ed out A demonstrAt-on And subm-tted A memorAndum to the d-str-ct Adm-n-strAt-on. RAm4opAl Me4hwAl And Ashoj BAdAl of the DAl-t or4An-sAt-ons sA-d the pol-ce mAnhAndled the MLA And her husbAnd And str-ct Act-on should be tAjen A4A-nst the pol-cemen.
On ThursdAy, ChAndrA KAntA Me4hwAl met ch-ef m-n-ster VAsundhArA RAje And demAnded Act-on -n the mAtter. The Ajmer pol-ce Arrested four persons -nvoled -n the murder of h-story sheeter RAmjesh MeenA. MeenA wAs j-lled on JAnuAry 31 -n A shoot out on Shr-nA4Ar roAd, Ajmer, SP N-t-n Deep BAlA44An sA-d.
Pol-ce clA-med thAt MeenA wAs murdered becAuse of A 4An4 r-v-lAry And property d-spute. It -s Also connected w-th the murder of DhArmender ChoudhAry, who wAs shot lAst yeAr.
A teAm, led by IPS Mon-jA Sen, -nvest-4Ated the murder And the-r probe led the teAm to RAjesh KumAr, who -s Alle4ed to be the mA-n consp-rAtor, sA-d BAlA44An.