Two police personnel patrolling the area near Butana check-post, which falls under Sonepat’s Baroda police station, were allegedly attacked and stabbed to death by around four unidentified assailants on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
The dead have been identified as Special Police Officer (SPO) Kaptan Singh and Constable Ravinder Kumar. Both of them were posted at Butana check-post.Haryana DGP Manoj Yadav, ADGP Rohtak Range Sandeep Khirwar and SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa reached the spot, along with a police team, to investigate the incident.
While talking to ‘The Pioneer’ over the phone, Sonepat DSP (Headquarters) Virender Singh said that four unidentified persons might have used sharp-edged weapons to kill the police officials. The incident took place at around 1 am.
The FSL team and Dog Squad's team were deployed on the spot for investigation. “Six teams have been formed and they are working to crack the case. The case is being investigated from all angles,” he said.
Singh said that night curfew is in force for the past several weeks in Haryana as part of guidelines of the COVID-19 lockdown. It is possible that the policemen were attacked when they came across some people who were roaming during curfew hours and questioned them. The DSP said, “The dead bodies have been sent to a mortuary at the local hospital for postmortem examination. Though, it would be clear after the postmortem report which weapon was used by the assailants, prima facie it seemed that the miscreants used sharp-edged weapons. The post-mortem reports of the deceased and the scene of the crime would be matched to reach any conclusion and after that, we could be able to comment on this incident.”
Sources said that police constable Ravinder Kumar and SPO Kaptan Singh went for patrolling on a motorcycle at midnight (12.30 am). Both were not carrying weapons during patrolling.
The Unidentified four persons used sharp-edged weapons to kill them at around 1.30 am. Their dead bodies were found at around 5.30 am on the Gohana-Jind road, approximately 500 meters away from the Butana police post. Police got information about the incident in the morning when the movement of common people started on that road.
The police team, which reached the spot after receiving information, found the bodies lying in a pool of blood with injuries inflicted by sharp weapons, they added. DGP Manoj Yadava, who was responding to queries of mediapersons at the Haryana Police Academy , said eight police teams have been constituted to solve the case and assailants will be nabbed soon.
“Some anti-social elements committed the crime. As per investigations so far, which I reviewed with the Sonipat and the Rohtak Range ADGP, we are seeing whether any criminal conspiracy is involved in this, whether any gang could be behind this.
However, as investigations are underway, I would not like to say anything beyond this except that the case is being investigated from all angles.” The DGP assured stringent action against those behind the killing of the policemen. Replying to a question, Yadava said police will accord the status of a martyr to them as they sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Terming the incident unfortunate, the DGP said the entire police force is working tirelessly to serve humanity in the COVID-19 situation. He also described it as a major loss to the state police force and added that they will provide all kinds of facilities under its welfare schemes to the next of kin of deceased.