Suraj murder case: Karnal police arrest 3rd accused after brief exchange of fire

Karnal police arrested the third accused in the murder of 25-year-old Suraj of Gondar village, a member of the Rajput Community, after an alleged brief exchange of fire on late Sunday night.

The accused has been identified as Gobind, a native of Gondar village belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. Two suspects had already been arrested earlier in the case.

As per the police officials, Gobind allegedly fired three rounds at the CIA‑2 team in Gharaunda area. In retaliation, the police opened fire and one bullet struck Gobind in the leg. He was taken to the District Civil Hospital, Karnal, for treatment, while forensic teams began further investigation.

The incident sparked outrage among SC community members.

Soon after, scores of SC members gathered at the Civil Hospital trauma centre, who alleged that the encounter was staged and demanded strict action against the police personnel involved in it.

On Monday, a delegation comprising Rajiv Gondar, Malkhan Namberdar, Krishan Kutail, Ashok Kalsan, advocate Sanjay, Krishan Sarpanch, and others met Superintendent of Police (SP) Narender Bijarniya after holding discussions at the Mini Secretariat.

They submitted a memorandum highlighting concerns, particularly the arrest of Gobind’s father and brother, who they claimed were wrongly implicated in the conspiracy. In their memorandum, they did not mention about the alleged encounter. The delegation demanded that no innocent person be harassed and that action be taken only against those found guilty in the murder of Suraj.

They further raised the issue of alleged threats against advocate Sonia Tanwar, who has been leading SC protests. “We met the SP and raised our concerns. The SP assured us of a fair inquiry in this case,” said Rajiv Gondar.

SP Bijarniya assured them of impartial investigation and said, “No innocent person will be punished. The police will conduct the probe in a completely fair manner.”

Meanwhile, the representatives also appealed to their community to avoid posting or responding to provocative or misleading content on social media, urging that any objectionable posts be reported to the committee instead of reacting directly, so authorities could take appropriate action.

The unrest started on April 18, when Suraj was murdered, allegedly by members of the SC community. His death triggered a highway blockade by Rajput members on April 19, demanding swift arrests. The police responded by registering an FIR and arresting two suspects. In retaliation, SC members staged a protest on April 21, alleging derogatory remarks against SC women, leading to another FIR under the SC/ST Act. The Rajput members then organised a protest march on April 23, followed by an SC protest on April 25 demanding action against the Rajput members for offensive language.

To defuse tensions, SP Bijarniya had assigned three DSPs on Saturday to mediate between both communities. After hours of dialogue on April 25 at Nissing police station, the peace committee managed to calm the situation.