Due to political pressure, police seem to be stumbling to make any kind of headway in investigations into the alleged firing by Khanpur MlA and Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation chairman Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ in which the two Congress men were injured on September 17.
Cantt Police Station in-charge VK Jetha said that taking cognisance of this case, following Singh’s surrender and subsequent bail, a case under sections 337 and 338 of IPC against unidentified person registered in the past has been booked in his name in the police station. In their recorded statements, Congress leaders Vivekanand Khanduri and Ravinder Saini, who were injured in this firing incident, have said they do not know about the shooting incident.
“To question the Khanpur MlA Champion and seize his licensed gun from which he had allegedly fired in the dinner party of Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat a day before the start of Vidhan Sabha session, police team was sent twice to his residence in Haridwar recently, but he was unavailable at his home. The team members were informed by families that MlA Champion had gone to Delhi for personal reasons,” said Jetha.
The police in-charge further said that to question other Congress MlAs in connection with this firing incident, several police teams were formed and they were sent to the homes of the Congress leaders in Dehradun and other districts, but the police teams returned empty-handed. These police teams were informed by the family members of the respective MlAs and Cabinet ministers that the politicians had either gone to their respective constituencies or to Delhi or other places for personal reasons.
Jetha said that in connection with this case, evidences are being collected by the police and the investigation would continue till the truth is established. Critics opined that due to political pressure, police seem to be stumbling to make any kind of headway in investigations into the firing incident. Police might not have acted in this manner had any common person without political standing fired at a Cabinet minister’s home in front of MlAs, cabinet minister and the Assemby speaker or in any public place. The silence of leaders of opposition party over this case makes it appear as if the Congress and Opposition have reached some agreement to suppress the controversy sparked off by this incident.
It should be mentioned here that earlier, Uttarakhand assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal said that it was Singh who had opened fired during a gathering of MlAs and Cabinet ministers at the residence of cabinet minster Rawat. later Champion had surrendered before the police on Friday evening, but he was granted bail within half hour of his surrender.