More than a week after the Delhi High Court convicted 32 people in Hisar’s decade-old Mirchpur violence case, the village dominated by Jats remains on the edge with around 20 convicts on the run and several Dalit families having fled the village fearing a backlash.
Tejbhan Chauhan, 29, who fled the village following the High Court verdict on August 24, now stays with over 80 displaced families at Tanwar farmhouse on the outskirts of Hisar city. He claimed that around half-a-dozen families from the village had come to stay at the farmhouse fearing a backlash from the Jats and many more had gone to their relatives.
“The Dalit families started fleeing the village soon after the verdict was pronounced. Of around 50 families, only 20-odd are left behind. The youth from the Jat community have gathered twice in the village’s school apparently to plan an attack. There is a sense of fear,” said Mr. Chauhan, who works in a private company, speaking to The Hindu over phone.
Though a police post was set up in the village after the attack on the Dalit families, which left behind a father-daughter duo dead in 2010, Mr. Chauhan said the force was inadequate in view of recent developments.
“There are around 15 police personnel at the post. Besides, there are 5-6 Personal Security Officers for the witnesses in the case. Two police vehicles were deployed for patrolling in the wake of court verdict, but they mostly remain stationed at the post,” said Mr. Chauhan. He said that some police force were kept reserved at Narnaund Police Station, but it was around 20 km away from the village.
Somdutt, a government school teacher, however, chose to stay back. “The fear of backlash lurks large, but still many have chosen to stay behind. The police deployment has increased,” he claimed.
Superintendent of Police (Hansi) Virender Vij said that efforts were on to arrest the convicts on the run. “Out of the 32 convicted by the Delhi High Court, 12 are already in the jail. The rest are on the run. Many of these were arrested in 2010 and remained in police custody. We are checking their records. Security has been beefed at the village. We are to submit a report to the Sessions Court tomorrow [September 5] in this matter,” said Mr. Vij.
He, however, denied that any Dalit family had fled the village.