Miner ‘locked up’ by BJP leader

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, June 21

An employee of a mining contractor has accused a BJP leader and his accomplices of keeping him locked up in a temple room and beating him mercilessly.

However, the BJP leader, Rishipal Dholi, who is a member of the district grievances committee, has alleged that people involved in illegal mining chased him with an intention to kill.

In his complaint to the police, the employee of the contractor, Narinder Kumar, said that he was coming towards Ghumthala village from Ghumthala ghat last night on his motorcycle.

He alleged that on the way, BJP leader Rishipal and his accomplices kidnapped him and locked him up in a room of a temple situated on the bank of the river.

BJP leader Rishipal told The Tribune that he owned the contract of Ghumthala ghat of the Yamuna river from where people, animals and other things were taken to the other side of the river on boat.

He said that illegal mining was going on in the area of Ghumthala ghat when he had gone there on Wednesday night.

When he saw the mining mafia using earth-moving machines for illegal mining in the night, he informed the police.

“Before the police could come there, I was chased by the people involved in illegal mining with an intention to kill me at about 2 am. I had a narrow escape,” the BJP leader alleged. He said that all allegations levelled against him were baseless.

According to information, when the other staff members of the mining contractor came to know that an employee of the company was locked up in a temple room, they attacked the priests there.

Investigating officer ASI Suresh Kumar of Jathlana police station said that a priest Vinod Anand has given a statement to the police.

He said that Vinod had alleged that the employee of the contractor was locked up by the BJP leader and his accomplices.

The ASI said that the priest further alleged that the employees of the contractor — thinking that Narinder had been locked up by the priests — attacked the priests.

In the attack, Vinod Anand and another priest received minor injuries.

“We have received two complaints — one from Narinder Kumar and another from Rishipal. We have recorded the statement of the priest. An FIR will be lodged after thorough investigation,” said ASI Suresh Kumar.