Mewat youth killed in crossfire; protest erupts

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 8

An ‘innocent’ 22-year-old youth was gunned down on Tuesday night reportedly by personnel of the Uttarakhand Police in an encounter.

Sahib of Naheda village was killed in Patakpur, where the special team, assisted by the Mewat police, came to nab a robber. They reportedly resorted to firing after villagers allegedly attacked and fired at them.

The police insisted that the youth was killed in crossfire, with no evidence of a police bullet having claimed his life. They said the deceased was probably an accomplice of the robber who helped him escape.

The villagers insisted that the deceased was innocent and was killed on the basis of suspicion. They demanded immediate action against the policemen involved and compensation of Rs 50,000 for his family.

Following a three-hour-long mahapanchayat, villagers sat on dharna with Sahib’s body, refusing to bury him till their demands were met. Congress leader Aftab Ahmed was among those who addressed the gathering.

On Tuesday night, the Uttarakhand Police, assisted by the Mewat police, came looking for Shabbir, a local resident. He was wanted in connection with a robbery in a mobile phone showroom in Dehradun.

He was hiding in a room in the fields, from where the police nabbed him. This information reached the village and hundreds of villagers reportedly rushed to the fields.

They allegedly attacked the police and freed Shabbir, who fled from custody. The police caught him again, but local woman reportedly attacked the police and freed him again.

The action continued for two hours before the villagers allegedly fired at the police, who fired in retaliation. Sahib was caught in the crossfire while Shabbir fled.

“This is another addition to atrocities on Mewatis. They killed him because they were suspicious. They murdered him and should be booked. We will not lay him to rest till our demands are met,” said the mahapanchayat in its statement.

A heavy police posse was deployed in the area. The police booked 150 Patakpur residents, 45 of them by name, for attacking the police. Sahib was the only brother to seven sisters and drove a truck with his father.

“The police came to nab a burglar and caught him. Patakpur residents and relatives of the accused attacked the police and freed him twice. They fired at the police and Sahib was killed. It is not clear which side fired the fatal shot. We have registered an FIR and are investigating,” said Mewat SP Naazneen Bhasin.