The accused in the Rohtak honour killing case in police custody. (Express photo)
Days after the murder of an 18-year-old girl and her police escort in a case of honour killing , the Haryana police arrested two persons after a shootout in Rohtak in the early hours of Tuesday. The accused had gunned down the girl along with her police escort, a sub-inspector, in Rohtak on August 8, police said.
The shooter, Praveet alias Prince, 30, was injured and was admitted to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, for treatment while his younger brother Prashant alias Tony, 28, has been arrested. They belong to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The cousin of the girl who had allegedly conspired the murder and hired the shooters has also been arrested.
According to the police, Praveet was working in a private company (merchant navy) but would visit Uttar Pradesh for criminal activities. “He is a member of UP’s Rajesh Bhadori Gang and he is accused in half a dozen cases in Meerut. He had committed the crime (honour killing I Rohtak) with his brother at the behest of the girl’s cousin. During interrogation, the accused have told the police that they had come to Rohtak to kill the (Dalit) youth and his mother,” said the police in a press release.
On Tuesday morning, the police said, the two brothers and the girl’s cousin had gone to Singhpura in Rohtak. On a tip-off, the police chased their car, which had a UP number plate. The police alleged that the Swift car driver fired at the police team, which retaliated. Praveet suffered a bullet injury on his leg, prompting his accomplices to stop the car. They were apprehended and the police recovered six pistols and some live cartridges from their possession.
According to the police, the girl, who was minor at the time of the incident, had allegedly eloped with a Dalit youth last year. Later, the girl was sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal. On August 8, she had gone to appear before a Rohtak court. Afterwards, when she was going to take an autorickshaw, the police claim, she was gunned down by two bike-borne persons: Praveet and the girl’s cousin. A police sub-inspector, Narender Kumar, was also killed while trying to save her.
“Prashant and one more aide were waiting in a car to flee after the crime,” said a police spokesperson.