Scribe’s kin see ‘conspiracy’ behind his arrest for murder

GURUGRAM: Family members of city-based journalist Pradeep Nirala — who was arrested in March in connection with a murder case in Badshapur — have claimed he is being made a scapegoat in the case as he “extensively wrote about the illegal occupation of land that belongs to the 800-year-old Badshapur fort”.
“The fort is on a 20-acre land and some villagers have occupied it illegally and built houses. My brother had started a campaign to save the fort and the villagers and probably some of the government officials decided to take revenge,” Pradeep’s brother Hariom told reporters in Gurugram on Saturday.

Pradeep Nirala was arrested on the charges of criminal conspiracy in March this year after being detained by cops for three days in connection with the murder of 43-year-old Badshapur resident Anand Vashisht.

He is currently in judicial custody in Bhondsi jail.

Hariom also raised suspicion about the recent visit of the director of the state archaeology department, Praveen Kumar, to Bhondsi jail to meet his brother.

“Kumar met Pradeep in jail and even told us that he would speak to state police chief and Gurugram police commissioner to ensure that he comes out soon. The archaeology department has done nothing to free the fort land of encroachers,” he added.

As Hariom was levelling allegations against Kumar, the latter turned up at the press meet and claimed that there was nothing wrong in meeting Pradeep in jail.

Kumar later told TOI, “I had gone to jail to visit Pradeep and it was a spontaneous act of sympathy. I visit jail frequently as I am also the director general of museums in the state. There are 19 jails in Haryana and different museums are being made there.” He added, “Pradeep started weeping in front of me. Then I spoke with Hari Om. Doesn’t this show my good intention towards him.”

“I thought he is a small reporter if he has been falsely implicated, then he should be helped,” said Kumar.

It may be mentioned here that soon after his arrest, Pradeep’s family had rubbished claims that he was involved in brokering a deal on behalf of the accused in an earlier attempt to murder case that eventually led to the killing of Vashishtha.