Road blocked in Baddi over police failure to arrest murder accused

Peeved at the failure of the police to arrest the accused for the murder of former up-pradhan Sohanlal and demanding immediate action, residents of Sai village in Baddi blocked the Sai-Ramshehar road for nearly six hours today.

The protest began around 7.30 am and continued until 1.30 pm, bringing traffic to a halt. The villagers relented and ended the blockade only after the police and local MLA Ram Kumar assured them that the accused would be arrested soon. The deceased was later cremated.

Sohanlal had named Suresh in his dying declaration as the person who shot him near the Sai bus stand on Thursday afternoon. He was initially taken to the Community Health Centre at Baddi and from there he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he died.

Senior officials, including Baddi SP Vinod Dhiman, Additional SP Ashok Verma and Doon MLA Ram Kumar, rushed to the protest site to pacify the angry villagers and lift the blockade.

The SP said that four special investigation teams had been constituted to nab the culprit. Additional SP Ashok Verma is heading the special investigation teams, while cyber cell experts are analysing CCTV camera footage and other digital evidence. Police teams are also conducting continuous raids at suspected hideouts of the accused. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has also been invoked.

Preliminary investigation suggests the murder was the result of a long-standing family dispute. Sohanlal had married the sister of the accused, allegedly against the wishes of her family. The inter-caste marriage is believed to have triggered tensions, leading up to the fatal incident.

The SP appealed to the public to assist the police with any information related to the accused. He said that not only the main culprit but also anyone providing him with shelter would be dealt with strictly.