Harshita joined rival gang to take revenge, say police

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, October 21

The murder case of Haryanvi singer and dancer Harshita Dahiya, aka Geeta, has taken a twist. The police have revealed that Harshita had joined the gang of Ravinder Pugthala, a dreaded criminal of Sonepat district, in 2015 to take revenge from her brother-in-law Dinesh Karala. The Sonepat police had arrested her along with two youths in 2016 and seized weapons from them.

Inspector Indeevar, in charge of the CIA of the Sonepat police, told The Tribune today that on May 2, 2016, they got information that Pugthala would visit Kurar village on the National Highway-1 in Sonepat district.

A woman along with two youths was riding a motorcycle there and when the police party tried to stop them, one of the youths fired upon it, he added. A gunfight ensued and Deepak, a resident of Kami village in Sonepat district, was injured in police firing, Indeevar said. The police team arrested the trio and identified them as Deepak, a resident of Kami village; Shakti, a resident of Rajpu village; and Geeta, aka, Harshita Dahiya, a resident of Mohmdabad village in Sonepat district. Three weapons were recovered from them, he added.

The subsequent police investigation revealed that Harshita had joined the Ravinder Pugthala gang through his two close associates Pavitra and Shakti, both brothers and residents of Rajpur village, after her mother was murdered on December 17, 2014, the Inspector said.

“Harshita joined Ravinder Pugthala’s gang to save herself from Dinesh Karala and take revenge from him for raping her and killing her mother,” he added.

Pugthala along with an accomplice was killed in an encounter with the police at Gohana in Sonepat district on February 10 this year, he said. He was a rival of Dinesh Karala, he added.

According to police sources, Harshita entered the music industry around a year ago. She was 15 years’ old and studied in Class IX when Karala had raped her.

Meanwhile, Karala disclosed to the police that he was annoyed with Harshita for joining hands with his rival gang, they said. Karala also disclosed that members of the Pugthala gang were instigating her to make statements before court against him.