Jat agitation: Hansi villagers return home to count the losses

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Dhani Pal (Hisar), February 26

Broken walls, half burnt household items, torched vehicles are what nearly 20 families found when they returned to their houses on the outskirts of Dhani Pal village, about 10 km from Hansi, on Thursday.

A group of armed protesters, mostly from Sisay village, had unleashed a reign of terror in the village on Sunday night and Monday morning, villagers said. A person was killed and another injured.

“Valuables, jewellery and cash were looted. Roofs, windows and doors were damaged; only ashes remain,” said Sushil Kumar, one of the affected. A cylinder blast had damaged the roof of his house. He and his family are taking shelter in a neighbouring village.

The condition of a palatial house on Sisay road suggested miscreants had barged into the house to rob and set afire whatever was left behind.

The house owner, Harphool Gurjar, said miscreants had opened fire on him and his family. His son, Sanjay (32), suffered a bullet injury, while his relative, Mintu (24), was killed. His body was found about 100 m from the house the next day (Tuesday).

“The mayhem was caused in the presence of the Army and police. The miscreants damaged properties, but the forces looked the other way. We were helpless in front of the armed mob, who opened fire when we tried to stop them,” Gurjar said, adding had the forces opened fire on the rioters, their houses could have been saved.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ashwin Shenvi, however, arson and the death of a person was a result of group clash.

“Nearly 10 houses located sporadically in fields were torched. A person died, not in police firing, but in a group clash. Had the police fired on miscreants, causalities could have been higher. The police resorted to other riot-control tactics such as lobbing teargas shells on the mob,” the Senior Superintendent of Police said, adding two persons had been arrested.

Jawan’s house burnt as cops looked other way 

Hisar: While Sunil Yadav, a jawan of the 19 Armoured Battalion posted at the Hisar cantonment, was away to Rajasthan, his house in Dhani Pal was robbed and torched by a group of rioters.

The Army and the police force deployed in the village saw it happening from a close distance. Sunil’s parents and two brothers were at home when the arsonists torched their house in broad daylight on February 22. Sunil said his family members contacted him over the phone and apprised him of the violence and the attack on the houses. “By the time I contacted my colleagues in the Army, the house had been set on fire. Even the fire brigade was not present there,” he said. He rushed to his village the next day only to find out half-burnt items. “It was firstly the duty of the local police to rescue and protect the public and their property. They have miserable failed in their duty,” he said. Raghubir Singh, his father, told the mediapersons that they had to flee from their houses. “The protesters mostly hailing from Sisay village were setting houses on fire while the forces remained a mute spectator,” he said. TNS