After Japanese embassy's 'concern', police form SIT to probe attack on HR manager

GURUGRAM: A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the attack on the HR manager of a Japanese firm on June 7 — the move apparently coming in the wake of concerns expressed by officials at the Japanese embassy in New Delhi over the daylight shooting of the executive in Manesar.

Sources in the police department claimed city police commissioner Sandeep Khirwar and Gurugram deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had gone to meet officials at the embassy on Saturday (June 9), when the officials there expressed their concerns over the law and order situation and safety of employees working with various Japanese companies in the city.

“The SIT has been formed under DCP (crime) to investigate the matter,” Khirwar said on Wednesday. Though Khirwar termed the attack as an isolated case, he insisted that the police were taking the matter very seriously. “We are making all possible efforts.”

Apart from looking into various aspects related to the attack, the SIT will also investigate and find out the culprits who sent a threat letter to the company officials on Tuesday, warning them of dire consequences if they did not sack the HR manager.

The commissioner further said security had been provided at the house of injured HR manager Dinesh Sharma (50), and that a PCR van had been directed to make frequent rounds of the area. “If required and the family requests, we will increase the security cover and provide security to the manager’s brother as well,” he added. The police are willing to consider a request for an arm licence too.

Sharma was driving to work in his Toyota Etios when four men on two bikes followed him from Manesar to Bilaspur, where his office is located, last Thursday morning. He took a bullet in the back, just below the neck, when one of the bikers opened fire. An injured Sharma drove 3km to his office, from where he was taken to Manesar-based Rockland hospital in an ambulance. The attackers allegedly followed the ambulance for a while before giving up.

The Bilaspur police had booked eight people, including sacked worker Joginder who worked at the same Japanese company, for the attack on the HR manager. Joginder and his relative Dayachand have already been arrested while the hunt is on for other accused. A second FIR was filed on Tuesday against unknown persons for sending the threat letter to the company.

Meanwhile, the Association of Industries and Institutions, a national trade organisation with its headquarters in Delhi, issued a statement on Wednesday, urging the state government to maintain law and order in industrial areas.

“Such incidents will damage the reputation of the state — look at what happened to West Bengal. Investors as well as skilled workforce will move to states like Gujarat and Maharashtra where the law and order situation is considered to be better. Innocents cannot be attacked,” the statement read.

“The government must also realise that in the absence of proper law and order, it is not possible to attract investments to set up new industries,” said HL Kumar, the president of the association.