‘False’ drug case: Cong leader’s supporters gherao police complex

Our Correspondent

Abohar, August 19

Supporters of a Congress leader Sandeep Doodhwal today gheraoed the district police complex at Hanumangarh, 61 km from here, alleging that the police had falsely booked him under the NDPS Act.

The police foiled their attempt to enter the office of the district police chief. They raised slogans against the administration.

District Congress chief Surinder Dadri, former minister Vinod Chaudhary, Panchayat Samiti chief Jaidev Bhidasara, vice-chairman Amar Singh and Congress rural leader Gurdeep Singh Chahal slammed the police for booking Congress leader Sandeep Doodhwal under the NDPS Act under a conspiracy allegedly hatched by some BJP leaders.

They said Sandeep Doodhwal was a whistleblower as he had exposed the alleged siphoning off wheat and other essential commodities supplied to fair price shops under the Public Distribution System in Hanumangarh district.

They alleged that some ‘miscreants’ had kept a small quantity of opium in Sandeep’s jeep which he had parked in the local court complex on August 7. He went to the court for a hearing in connection with the “wheat siphoning off ” case.

Station House Officer Ranveer Singh had seized opium from Sandeep’s jeep after receiving an anonymous phone call. On the same day, the Congress had demanded custodial questioning of the caller to ascertain the facts but the police ignored it, they said.

Superintendent of Police Gaurav Yadav and his deputies negotiated with the protesters and sought a month to solve the case. But the protesters gave them a week to book the suspected conspirator and warned the police to step up their stir if they failed to act.