Sena leader’s security cover restored

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 14

Investigation conducted by senior police officers (previously posted here) into the case of attack on Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora has been given the thumbs down and the security cover of Arora has been restored by the police.

The investigation conducted by senior officials, including the former ADCP (Crime), Ludhiana, Balkar Singh, former ACP-Crime Gurvinder Singh, CIA Inspector Harpal Singh, which held Arora guilty of stage-managing the attack on him, was found mere eyewash. The entire probe into the Arora case was supervised by the then Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh. Aulakh, along with his investigation team comprising ADCP Balkar Singh, ACP Gurinvder Singh and Inspector Harpal, held a press conference on June 23 where they declared the attack on Arora as stage-managed. They claimed Arora wanted to get more security personnel and escort vehicle to increase his clout in society, and to seek sympathy of the Hindus by stage-managing an attack on him.

Targeted killings accused Ramandeep, Shera shot at Arora: Dhoke

On February 3 last year, Sena leader Arora had stated that he was shot at by unidentified persons while he was sitting in his car. He had stated that the bullet brushed past his neck and then hit the rear seat of the car. On June 23, the police arrested Arora for concocting the story of an attack and misleading the police. A case of fraud (with sections of the Arms Act) was then registered against Arora, his gunman HC Om Parkash and a worker. After the busting of module responsible for target killings in Punjab, sharp shooters Hardeep Singh Shera and Ramandeep Singh, who killed seven religious leaders in Punjab, admitted during interrogation that they had shot at Sena leader Arora but the bullet brushed past his neck and he escaped with a minor injury. Commissioner of Police RN Dhoke said the earlier probe conducted into the case by then police officials was misleading.

‘Case against Sena leader RD Puri stands’

Dhoke said though a gunman was provided to another Shiv Sena leader, RD Puri, that was totally on the basis of threat perception. However, the case that he had faked an attack on himself to get security still stands in the police record. “The old probe into the Puri case was right and he did fake attack on him. Our report found him under threat now, due to which he was provided with security,” Dhoke added.

After the arrest of Sena leader Amit Arora on June 23 last year, on June 24, Puri was arrested along with his aides for faking an attack on him. On June 4, 2014, an attempt-to-murder case was registered against unidentified accused after Puri alleged attack on him.

Dhoke also justified the case against the Shiv Sena (Hind) leader Rohit Sahni and his four aides for faking threats and trying to create a wedge between communities to seek enhanced security.

Authenticity of forensic report under scanner

After the arrest of Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora, the police had said: “We have found serious contradictions in his medico legal report (MLR) and the report given by the Central Forensic Science Lab in Chandigarh. While the MLR says it was an ‘alleged gunshot injury’ in his neck, the forensic report says there was no burn or even blackening of the skin which could prove it was a gunshot injury.” 

Dismissed cop hopeful of reinstatement

HC Om Parkash, who was dismissed by the Ludhiana police for allegedly conniving with Sena leader Amit Arora in faking the attack, is likely to be reinstated. Sources said he had also met Dhoke, who assured him that he would take up the issue of his reinstatement with the higher authorities. Om Parkash is earning his livelihood by running a small vegetable business.