Bhim Army blames Rajputs for murder of local leader’s brother in Saharanpur

Supporters of Dalit outfit Bhim Army have blamed Rajputs for the death of its Saharanpur district president Kamal Walia’s brother Sachin Walia who was found shot on Wednesday afternoon.

A case of murder and SC/ST Act has been registered in Kotwali Dehat against Sher Singh Rana, president of Rajput Mahasabha and one of the accused of Phoolan Devi murder case, Kanha Rana, Narendra Rana and Updesh Rana on the complaint of deceased’s mother Kanti Walia.

“The incident is being investigated from all possible angles,” said Babloo Kumar, SSP of Saharanpur.

The suspicious death has spurred fears of a repeat of last year’s inter-caste clashes in the district after a dispute arose over loud music being played during a Maharana Pratap Jayanti procession.

Sachin’s last rites will be performed in the village Thursday afternoon. “We would decide our future course of action thereafter,” said Bhim Army activist Robin Gautam. Bhim Army supporters have also accused the district administration and police of being responsible for the murder of Sachin.

Gautam said that despite their objections district administration gave Rajputs permission to hold Maharana Pratap Jayanti celebrations barely a few hundreds meteres away from the Dalit locality of Ramnagar. Sher Singh Rana and his aides participated in the celebrations.

Gautam also claimed that Rana had threatened Kamal Walia with dire consequences through a video two days earlier. “The matter was immediately reported to SSP and other officials but no security was provided to the Walia family,” Gautam said.

He claimed that Sachin was shot in the alley outside his house on Wednesday afternoon and a video in which a few women are seen cleaning the alley was being used by authorities to create confusion about the murder in order to save their skin. “A few women saw the attack on Sachin” said Gautam.

District magistrate of Saharanpur P K Pandey ordered the suspension of internet services in the district to stop rumour mongering. He and SSP Kumar faced the wrath of Dalits and Bhim Army activists when they visited the crime spot. Bhim Army activists also forced Congress MLA from Behat Naresh Saini to return.

In a memorandum to the district magistrate the Bhim Army demanded that a case be lodged against superintendent of police (SP) city Prabal Pratap Singh and organisers of Maharana Pratap Jayanti.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIGP) of Saharanpur range Sharad Sachin, however, claimed that initial investigation of the incident shows that it could have been an accident. The complaint about the murder did not mention the place of crime and those who have been named in the complaint were attending Jayanti celebrations which were held under tight security. He said that cleaning of blood stains in the alley creates suspicion about the incident because it is a case of tempering with evidences.

He refused to comment on allegations of Bhim Army activists that Rana issued a threatening video against Kamal Wali. “I don’t know about such video”, he said.