Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday said his government will recommend a CBI probe into the murder of INLD leader Nafe Singh Rathee.
In a sensational incident, Rathee was shot dead along with a party worker by some unidentified assailants in Jhajjar on Sunday. He was travelling when the attackers sprayed bullets on their SUV in Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh town. Three private gunmen hired by Rathee for security also suffered injuries in the attack, police said.
“If the House is only satisfied with a CBI probe, then I assure the members that we will hand over the case to the CBI,” Vij was quoted as saying in the state assembly.
Earlier in the day, Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta admitted an adjournment motion on law and order as the opposition Congress raised the issue of Rathee’s murder and demanded a probe into the incident by a high court judge-monitored CBI investigation.
The state police has also booked former Haryana MLA Naresh Kaushik and 11 others in connection with the killing.
Meanwhile, the INLD leader’s family has refused to cremate the body until the culprits are brought to book.
“The police administration is sitting silent. My family and I are not getting any security. My father was demanding security for five years. He was a national leader. All political parties should have supported him before he was murdered,” Rathee’s son Jitendra told ANI.
“We will not conduct a post-mortem until the accused are arrested…,” the slain INLD leader’s nephew Kapoor said.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asserted that not a single culprit involved in the case would be spared.
Demanding strict action against the culprits, Haryana INLD leader Abhay Chautala claimed Rathee had informed the police about danger to his life, however, no security was provided to him.
“The incident that has taken place… for this, the state government is responsible. They are responsible because, six months ago, Nafe Singh told me, the police informed him that his life was in danger and he could be attacked anytime…
“He (Nafe Singh Rathee) wrote to the SP, CM, and DG that they must investigate this and provide him with security… Ex-MLAs also informed the chief minister, but no security was provided to him…,” he claimed.
Rathee had served as an MLA of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) from Bahadurgarh where the attack took place. He also served twice as the chairman of the Bahadurgarh Municipal Council.
He hogged limelight last year when former Haryana minister Mange Ram Rathi’s son Jagdish Rathi died by suicide and a case was filed against Nafe Singh under the charges of abetment. Allegations of harassment were subsequently leveled against Rathee and his nephew Sonu in connection with the suicide case. Rathee was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court on January 24 last year.