7 guards of Patanjali food park arrested

Blurb: STF sleuths from Doon gather evidence from crime spot

Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 29

The police today arrested seven security guards of yoga guru Ramdev in the Patanjali food park clash case. A team of the Special Task Force from Dehradun also visited the crime spot today to collect evidence. STF sleuths into possession CCTV footages, a CPU and a DVR.

One person was killed while seven others were injured during a clash between members of the Haridwar truck union and guards of Ramdev's Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Haridwar on Wednesday. The deceased, Daljit Singh, was into transportation business.

The guards, namely Bhajan Lal, Rajendra, Ravindra, Avinash, Rajesh, Jeevan and Arun, all residents of Rajasthan, were trying to flee when they were arrested from the Badshahpur bus stand. They have been booked under Sections 302, 307, 147, 148, 149, 323, 504, 506, 120 (B) and 336 of the IPC and Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The weapons used in the crime, including iron rods, sharp sticks and pieces of steel and aluminium, were also seized from the park premises today.

Haridwar SSP Sweety Aggarwal has entrusted two circle officers with a probe into the matter. The SSP said the police was doing its job in an unbiased manner and on the basis of the information given by eyewitnesses. He said they were not under any political pressure.

She said a joint team of the Haridwar police and the STF was investigating the matter and checking CCTV footages to identify people from both sides, who were involved in the violent act.

Earlier, the police today arrested three persons of the truck union on the basis of a complaint filed by Naresh Jha, Additional Manager (HR), Patanjali Ayurvedic Limited, Padartha.

Jha had alleged that Dharmendra Chauhan, Balbir and Baljeet armed with iron rods, sticks and a country-made revolver forcibly entered the part and damaged infrastructure. They also manhandled a security guard. They have been booked under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 324, 326, 427, 504 and 506 of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the BJP has come out in support of Patanjali Yogpeeth and demanded a fair probe into the issue. BJP legislators from Haridwar, Swami Yatishwarnand, Aadesh Chauhan, Chandrasekhar Bhattewala and Sanjay Gupta, met the SSP and accused the police of buckling under the state government's pressure. However, the SSP assured them of a fair probe.

On the other hand, a section of organisations has criticised Patanjali Yogpeeth and extended their support to the deceased's family.

Office-bearers of the Jat Maha Sabha, Panchpuri, met Daljit's at Aithal village today. They have demanded an adequate compensation for the family.

The district unit of the Congress also took out a protest march.