Haryana Government has recommended an inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incident of arson and looting at Rohtak’s residence of Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu during February’s Jat agitation.
During Jat reservation stir in February, a mob had broke into the home of Haryana Minister in Rohtak and set it on fire. The mob came for two days until the bungalow — located in one of Rohtak's most upscale areas — was burnt to the ground.
Sources said that the State Government has recommended CBI inquiry into the incident of arson and looting at Finance Minister’s house during the Jat agitation. A file related to FIRs registered and inquiry conducted into the incident has been forwarded to the CBI, said sources.
As per the CCTV clips made public by Haryana police, Capt. Abhimanyu’s house in Rohtak was gheraoed by the protesters who began burning it on February19. Since flames began catching up the two-storey structure, the Minister’s wife, along with their 10-year-old son ran out of the house.
The hooligans had then chased the mother-son duo out of the lane where the house was located. They were sheltered by neighbours until a chopper was sent to rescue them.
Following the incident, the Finance Minister had alleged that it was a political conspiracy to wipe out his entire family and mostly Congress workers were in the mob. The protestors tried to kill nine members of his family in Rohtak by first locking them in a room and then trying to burn them alive, the Minister had said.
He had also demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.
The State Government had earlier set up a special investigation team to probe the case of arson, loot and violence at Minister’s house.
The BJP led Haryana Government had also set up a two-member Commission headed by Justice SN Jha (retd) to inquire into the conspiracy angle to February’s Jat reservation stir.
The judicial commission is already inquiring into all facts and circumstances relating to the occurrence of violence leading to loss of lives, damage to properties, both private and public including roads, canals, railway stations, police stations and illegal felling of trees and violation of human rights from February 18 to 23 during Jat agitation in seven districts namely Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Bhiwani.
The Commission is also inquiring into existence of a deep rooted conspiracy, if any, to damage the social fabric of the society and any such matter as may be found relevant in the course of the inquiry.
During Jat quota agitation, Haryana had witnessed large scale violence in February with rampaging mobs looting and setting shops on fire, burning government and private buildings and vehicles and clashing with security forces.
While 30 people had died, more than 300 were injured during the Jat agitation. More than 2000 criminal cases have been registered in various police stations of the state in connection with the reservation agitation.