Murder of sarpanch's husband: Two-day dharna lifted after cops pacify protesting villagers

The two-day dharna by hundreds of villagers on National Highway No. 62 near Kallar Khera village, demanding the arrest of Manoj Kumar Mahar who allegedly shot Shankar Lal Jalap (35), husband of the village sarpanch Poonam, was lifted last night.

Senior police officials arrived at the site and briefed the protesters on the efforts being made to trace the prime suspect of the case.

Manoj Kumar Mahar, identified as the block president of AAP, is accused of killing Jalap on Thursday during a dispute over the demarcation of land for a drain construction at the village. Sarpanch Poonam, also an AAP worker, is said to have been connected to the case.

The police revealed that Manoj Kumar’s wife Sneha and mother Saroj Rani have been arrested in connection with the murder. His father Rai Bahadur, along with others, including Rajinder Kumar, Mohan Lal and Narinder Kumar, have also been named in the FIR. Despite several raids on the suspects’ homes, all were found locked even as the search for Manoj continues.

Following the protests, post mortem was conducted at the Abohar Civil Hospital under the supervision of senior officials. The procedure carried out by a team of three doctors was videographed. The body was taken to Kallar Khera village, where a large crowd had gathered to bid final farewell to Shankar Lal Jalap. The last rites were performed by Jalap’s six-year-old son.