News Analysis India

Tag: Haryana Police

  • Haryana Police uses water cannons to disperse farmers in Jhajjar, Ambala

    By PTI

    JHAJJAR/AMBALA: The Haryana Police used water cannons on Friday to disperse farmers who had gathered in Jhajjar and Ambala to oppose events of BJP and JJP leaders.

    In Jhajjar, the protesters jumped barricaded and tried to enter the venue where Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala was to attend a programme.

    The venue of the event was a government college in Jhajjar.

    The police said they used a water cannon to disperse the protesters as they gathered near the venue and some of them jumped over the barricades to force their way inside.

    Jhajjar’s senior police officials and the deputy commissioner reached the spot to oversee law and order.

    In Ambala district too, the police used a water cannon to disperse a group of farmers who had blocked a road leading to the venue where a party meeting was to be held by the BJP.

    As soon as the farmers got the information that state BJP chief O P Dhankar and Ambala MP R L Kataria would be reaching the venue for the party meeting, they started gathering in numbers.

    The farmers sat in the middle of the road and blocked the road leading to the venue.

    The police said they used a water cannon to disperse the group of the farmers who were blocking the road.

    On Thursday, a group of farmers had jumped over police barricades in a bid to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting in Karnal’s Indri, police had said.

    Among those present at the meeting were Indri MLA Ram Kumar Kashyap and senior state BJP leader Pawan Saini.

    Farmers, who are protesting against the three central farm laws, have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP combine in Haryana.

  • Farmers’ Bharat Bandh: Haryana Police issues advisory as SKM urges for peace

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: In view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by various farmer organisations on September 27, elaborate arrangements have been made to maintain peace and order, the Haryana Police said on Sunday.

    The call has been given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, spearheading the farmers’ agitation against three central agri laws, which were enacted in September last year.

    In an advisory, police also stated that people could face traffic disruptions on various roads and highways of the state due to the ‘bandh’ on Monday.

    Elaborate arrangements have been put in place by the civil and the police administrations in Haryana according to directions of the state government, a Haryana police spokesperson said.

    “The primary objective of these arrangements is to maintain public peace and order, prevent any kind of violence and to facilitate the functioning of traffic and public transport systems across the state,” he said.

    “As per reports, it is expected that agitating groups may sit on ‘dharna’ on various roads and highways and block them for some time. The national and state highways in the state may see some traffic disruptions for several hours,” the spokesman said.

    Citizens are being informed in advance so that they are able to plan and modify their journey accordingly to avoid any inconvenience, he said.

    Districts have also been asked to make necessary arrangements in this regard, the spokesman said.

    The Haryana Police has appealed to farmers to raise their issues peacefully without disturbing the law and order situation.

    “Stern action, as per the law, will be taken against elements trying to disturb public order under the guise of bandh call,” the police spokesman said.

    The SKM had earlier appealed to the people to join the bandh.

    “As this historic struggle completes ten months, Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called Monday (September 27) to be observed as ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the anti-farmer Modi government,” it had said in a statement.

    “The SKM appeals to every Indian to join this nationwide movement and make the ‘Bharat Bandh’ a resounding success.

    In particular, we appeal to all organisations of workers, traders, transporters, businessmen, students, youth and women and all social movements to extend solidarity with the farmers that day,” the SKM had said.

    The bandh will be held from 6 AM to 4 PM during which all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events and functions will be closed throughout the country, it had said.

    All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.

    Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

    The government, however, has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms.

    Over 10 rounds of talks between the two parties have failed to break the deadlock.

    Many non-NDA parties have extended support to the nationwide 10-hour strike on Monday called by farmers protesting against the three agri laws under the aegis of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM).

    The outfit on Sunday appealed for complete peace during the Bandh and urged all Indians to join the strike.

    “It was on September 27, 2020 that President Shri Ram Nath Kovind assented to and brought into force the three anti-farmer black laws last year. Tomorrow, there will be a total Bharat Bandh observed around the country from 6 AM to 4 PM, ” the SKM, which is an umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions, said in a statement.

    Farmer unions along with their supporters, including trade unions, have made detailed plans to ensure that life remains suspended tomorrow across the country, except for emergency services, it said “It is a day to express support to the annadatas (farmers) of the country, the ones who keep all Indians alive,” it said.

    The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Left parties and Swaraj India have backed the Bandh call.

    Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the Congress and its workers will extend full support to the peaceful ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by farmer unions.

    “We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws,” he said in a tweet.

    “All PCC presidents, chiefs of frontal organisations are requested to go out in front with our Annadatas in their peaceful Bharat Bandh across the country,” Venugopal said.

    In a tweet in Hindi, BSP chief Mayawati said, “The farmers of the country do not endorse the three farm laws brought in a hurry by the Centre, and are sad about it”.

    She said her party supports their call for a peaceful bandh and asked the Centre to hold proper consultations with farmers and bring a new law with their agreement.

    In Kerala, both the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF have supported the nationwide farmers’ strike, even as the BJP denounced the hartal as “anti-people”.

    INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan told PTI that since the hartal has the support of both LDF and UDF, the state is expected to come to a standstill on Monday.

    He said except for RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), all other trade unions are supporting the strike.

    He said there would be no blocking of vehicles or forced shutting down of shops.

    The YSR Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has also announced support to the Bharat Bandh.

    Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

    They are also seeking a legal guarantee for MSP.

    The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by farmers on January 26 when protesters had stormed the Red Fort and hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts.

    “Punjab’s new Chief Minister extended his support, and in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD have been jointly planning for the success of the Bharat Bandh. In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK supports the bandh,” the statement by the SKM said.

    In the national capital, the SKM said, central trade unions will organise a protest rally at Jantar Mantar at 11 AM.

    “Several bar associations and local units of All India Lawyers’ Union have extended their support,” the farmers’ body said.

    The Delhi Police said it has taken adequate security measures like intensified patrolling and deployment of extra personnel at pickets in border areas of the national capital.

    Every vehicle entering the national capital is being thoroughly checked, according to the police.

    A senior police officer said no protestor will be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites at the city’s borders “In view of Bharat Bandh, adequate security arrangements have been made as a precautionary measure. Pickets at the border areas have been strengthened and all vital installations, including India Gate and Vijay Chowk will have adequate deployment,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said.

    The SKM said that the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on September 28 will be marked by the farmers’ movement and urged the youth and students to join in large numbers at the morchas to mark the day.

    The SKM claimed that more than 605 farmers have lost their lives in the agitation so far.

    It called for the closure of all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events.

    All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted, it said.

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by Parliament in September last year.

    The government has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms.

  • Farmers gather in Karnal for mahapanchayat, officials hold talks with their leaders

    By PTI

    KARNAL: An 11-member delegation of farmer leaders was invited to hold talks with the district administration here on Tuesday as protesters in large numbers assembled for a mahapanchayat and later planned to gherao the district headquarters.

    Senior leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), including Rakesh Tikait, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, have arrived here for the mahapanchayat demanding action against the police lathicharge on farmers on August 28.

    These senior leaders will be part of the talks with the administration and have said that they will raise various demands during the interaction.

    ALSO READ | Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal: Security tightened as farmers plan to gherao mini-secretariat

    “We are talking to a delegation of farmers,” Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said over phone.

    Officials said details of the meeting will be shared later.

    Meanwhile, security arrangements have been beefed up in Karnal as the farmers have planned to gherao the mini-secretariat here.

    There is heavy deployment of Haryana Police as well as central forces in Karnal, while security forces in adequate strength have also been deployed at the new Anaj Mandi here where farmers are holding the mahapanchayat and plan to move towards the mini-secretariat, they said.

    Officials said vehicular traffic on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala National highway was plying normally in the morning.

    Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni had earlier in the day appealed to the farmers to assemble at the Anaj Mandi in a peaceful manner.

    ​ALSO READ | Farmers protest: Supreme Court rejects petition against blockade at Singhu border

    “Next course of action will be decided at the mahapanchayat,” Chaduni had said in a video message.

    However, a statement issued by Haryana Police and Karnal district administration said some people had reached the new Anaj Mandi armed with lathis and iron rods, which does not show “good intention” on their part.

    “Ground intelligence reports indicate that some elements from Rambha, some from Nissing and some from other places have reached the Anaj Mandi armed with lathis, iron rods, which does not show good intention on their part,” according to the statement.

    The statement said police and district administration have spoken to farmer leaders who have tried to persuade such elements to leave the venue, “but they are not listening to their leaders”.

    “Karnal district administration and police is warning such mischievous elements not to take the law into their hands and maintain public order. All such elements will be strictly dealt with in accordance with law,” it said.

    Braving inclement weather in the morning, farmers reached the new Anaj Mandi riding tractors and motorcycles.

    ALSO READ | Centre, Haryana governments conspiring to crush farmers’ protest: Congress

    Senior police officials have been put on duty at the new Anaj Mandi.

    There is also heavy barricading and deployment of security forces at the mini-secretariat.

    A day ahead of the proposed gherao of the mini-secretariat by the farmers, central forces were deployed, mobile internet services suspended and prohibitory orders banning gathering of people were imposed.

    The Haryana government, which had earlier ordered suspension of mobile internet services here from Monday 12:30 pm to Tuesday midnight, decided to suspend these services in four adjoining districts — Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat districts with effect from 12 am to 11:59 pm on Tuesday.

    Forty companies of security personnel, including 10 companies of central armed police forces, have been deployed in Karnal district where local authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC, officials said.

    The SKM, an umbrella body of farmer outfits protesting against the farm laws, had threatened to lay siege to the Karnal district headquarters on Tuesday if its demands were not met.

    The Haryana Police had lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a national highway near here on August 28 while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting.

    Over 10 protesters were injured.

    The SKM had said a murder case should be registered against IAS officer Ayush Sinha who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break heads” of protesting farmers.

    Sinha, who was later transferred in a reshuffle also involving some other IAS officers, has now been posted as the additional secretary in the Citizen Resources Information Department.

    Chaduni said a meeting with district administration officials was held here on Monday, but after failing to get any satisfactory response about their demands they decided to hold a mahapanchayat on Tuesday before proceeding to the mini-secretariat to gherao it.

    He had earlier sought registration of a case against those involved in the lathicharge.

    He also demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of a farmer who died after allegedly sustaining injuries in the lathicharge.

    However, the administration here claimed that the farmer was not injured in the police action but had died due to a heart attack.

  • Kisan Mahapanchayat in Karnal: Security tightened as farmers plan to gherao mini-secretariat

    By PTI

    KARNAL: Security arrangements have been beefed up in Karnal as farmers will be holding a mahapanchayat on Tuesday and also plan to gherao the mini-secretariat here over the August 28 lathicharge, officials said.

    There is heavy deployment of Haryana Police as well as central forces in Karnal, while security forces in adequate strength have also been deployed at the new Anaj Mandi here where farmers will meet and plan to move towards the mini-secretariat, they said.

    Officials said vehicular traffic on the Delhi-Karnal-Ambala National highway was plying normally in the morning.

    Haryana BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni has appealed to the farmers to assemble at the Anaj Mandi in a peaceful manner.

    “We will be holding a mahapanchayat in new Anaj Mandi.”

    “I appeal to all to reach the mandi in a peaceful manner. We have got message that police will allow us to gather at the mandi. Next course of action will be decided at the Mahapanchayat,” Chaduni said in a video message.

    According to reports, farmers have started reaching the new Anaj Mandi while BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is also reaching Karnal.

    Senior police officials have been put on duty at the new Anaj Mandi.

    There is also heavy barricading and deployment of security forces at the mini-secretariat here.

    Earlier, a day ahead of the proposed gherao of the mini-secretariat by the farmers, central forces were deployed, mobile internet services suspended and prohibitory orders banning gathering of people were imposed.

    The Haryana government, which had earlier ordered suspension of mobile internet services here from Monday 12:30 pm to Tuesday midnight, decided to suspend these services in four adjoining districts — Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind and Panipat districts with effect from 12 am to 11:59 pm on Tuesday.

    Forty companies of security personnel, including 10 companies of central armed police forces, have been deployed in Karnal district where local authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC, officials said.

    According to a Haryana Police advisory issued on Monday, National Highway No 44 (Ambala-Delhi) may see some traffic disruptions in the district on Tuesday.

    “Therefore, the general public using NH-44 are advised to avoid journey through Karnal town or otherwise use alternate routes to go to their destination on September 7,” it said.

    A Haryana Police spokesperson had later said in case need arises, planned route diversions on the Delhi-Ambala National Highway will be brought into effect from 9 am Tuesday, but until then traffic will ply normally.

    With additional force from neighbouring districts in place, five SP-rank officers and 25 DSP-rank officers are overseeing security arrangements here, Karnal’s Superintendent of Police, Ganga Ram Punia said.

    Drones fitted with cameras will be mobilised as part of security measures, he said.

    No one will be allowed to take law into one’s hand, Karnal Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said earlier.

    Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh on Monday, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij appealed to farmers to ensure that the protest is peaceful and the common man is not affected.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer outfits protesting against the farm laws, had threatened to lay siege to the Karnal mini-secretariat on Tuesday if its demands were not met.

    The Haryana Police had lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a national highway near here on August 28 while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting.

    Over 10 protesters were injured.

    The SKM had said a murder case should be registered against IAS officer Ayush Sinha who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break heads” of protesting farmers.

    Sinha, who was later transferred in a reshuffle also involving some other IAS officers, has now been posted as the additional secretary in the Citizen Resources Information Department.

    Chaduni said a meeting with district administration officials was held here on Monday, but after failing to get any satisfactory response about their demands they decided to hold a big panchayat on Tuesday before proceeding to the mini-secretariat to gherao it.

    He had earlier sought registration of a case against those involved in the lathicharge.

    He also demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of a farmer who died after allegedly sustaining injuries in the lathicharge.

    However, the administration here claimed that the farmer was not injured in the police action but had died due to a heart attack.

  • Gurugram man booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans, wife says he is under depression

    By ANI

    GURUGRAM: Haryana Police on Tuesday filed an FIR against a man for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans from his apartment’s balcony in Gurugram.

    According to police, the FIR was filed against one Anwar Syed Faizullah Hashmi on the complaint of his neighbours.

    “Case for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan in the society has been registered under Section 153 B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Rajendra Park police station against Anwar Syed Faizullah Hashmi. The accused is absconding and search for him is underway,” said Haryana police in a statement.

    On Saturday, a video went viral on social media, purportedly of a residential society in Gurugram, in which the accused was asking a child to raise pro-Pakistan slogans.

    Dhiraj Setia, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Gurugram told ANI that police received the complaint from the resident of “Imperial Gardens Society” in Gurugram on Sunday, with a video of clipping of the man raising “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans on the balcony of his house.

    Meanwhile, the man’s wife, in a complaint against the neighbours, has told police that her husband is undergoing treatment for depression.

    “Wife of the accused has also given a complaint of harassment against the residents of the society at Dhankot police post, in which it has been said that the people of the society came to her house and started threatening her unnecessarily. She has also filed another complaint against her husband for domestic violence. She said the accused is in depression and is undergoing treatment,” said the DCP.

    “We are also investigating this matter whether Anwar is really a victim of depression or not, his medical history is also being checked,” he added.

  • Congress condemns lathicharge on farmers in Haryana’s Karnal 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday condemned the lathicharge on farmers protesting at Karnal and likened the BJP-LJP regime in Haryana to the “General Dyer government”.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a picture on Twitter of a farmer with blood-soaked clothes after the lathicharge and said the image has shamed India.

    “Once again the blood of farmers is shed, India’s head bows in shame,” he said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtags “#FarmersProtest” and “Anti-farmer BJP”.

    Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala condemned the attack and dubbed the BJP-JJP regime as the “General Dyer government”.

    फिर ख़ून बहाया है किसान का,शर्म से सर झुकाया हिंदुस्तान का!#FarmersProtest #किसान_विरोधी_भाजपा pic.twitter.com/stVlnVFcgQ
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2021
    He shared pictures of injured farmers in blood-soaked clothes on Twitter and put out a video of an officer purportedly giving instructions to policemen to beat up the farmers.

    Surjewala claimed the officer was the duty magistrate of Karnal.

    READ HERE | Haryana police lathicharge protesting farmers near Karnal,10 injured 

    “CM-Dy CM’s conspiracy to attack farmers in Karnal is clear from the orders of the Duty Magistrate, who is ordering the police to break the heads of farmers and lash them with sticks. BJP-JJP is the ‘General Dyer’ government,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    “Khattar Sahib, Today in Karnal sticks have been blown on the soul of every Haryanvi. The oppression of the sinful BJP government that bleeds farmers is like demons. The coming generations will remember the blood from farmers’ bodies flown on the streets,” the Congress leader said in another tweet.

    “No more pleas, now there will be war – till life or death,” he said.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared pictures of the injured farmers on Facebook.

    “Farmers with their hard work grow bountiful crops in their fields and when ask for their rights, the BJP government bleeds them by wielding batons.

    Every blow dealt to farmers will serve as a nail in the coffin of the BJP,” she wrote on the social media platform.

    Another Congress spokesperson, Jaiveer Shergill, tweeted, “The manner in which farmers of Haryana were brutally beaten and order to break their heads were given no doubt that BJP Government should be called ‘General Dyer Government’.

    ” Scores of people were killed on the orders of Brigadier General Reginald Dyre of the British army on April 13, 1919 in Punjab’s Jalliwanwala Bagh.

    Around 10 people were injured on Saturday as police allegedly lathicharged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a highway while heading towards Karnal to protest against a Bharatiya Janata Party meeting attended by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar and other leaders.

    Farmers protesting against three farm laws of the Centre have been opposing the public functions of the ruling BJP-JJP combine in Haryana.

    Several farmers had gathered at the Bastara toll plaza near Karnal, responding to a call given by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

    The state police drew severe criticism for the action against the farmers and several roads were blockaded at different places in protest.

    The police, however, said only mild force was used as the protesters were blocking the highway, affecting traffic movement.

  • SIT to probe death of Jhajjar resident who was set afire by four men

    By PTI
    BAHADURGARH (HARYANA): Police have set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of a 42-year-old man whose family members alleged that he was set on fire by four people here.

    The police had earlier said that the person, identified as Mukesh of Kasra village in Jhajjar district, died of burns on Thursday after four men allegedly sprinkled some inflammable substance on him and set him afire the previous evening.

    According to the complaint lodged by victim’s brother, the four men were part of the ongoing farmers’ agitation at the Tikri border near Delhi.

    On Saturday, a delegation of farmers met Jhajjar Superintendent of Police Rajesh Duggal and sought a fair probe.

    Talking to reporters later, Duggal said, “We have constituted a SIT headed by a DSP. Investigations are being conducted on the basis of evidence.” He added that a murder case has already been registered.

    “Investigations are on. Culprits won’t be spared,” the police officer said.

    The police said two of the accused have so far been arrested.

    BJP’s Rohtak MP Arvind Sharma, who met the bereaved family, said local people and the village sarpanch have demanded a CBI probe in the incident.

    “I also support their demand that a CBI inquiry should be held in this case,” Sharma told reporters on Sunday.

    Replying to a question, he said the police are conducting a fair investigation, but when a CBI probe is held, the ambit of the investigations will widen.

    On Thursday, the victim’s family members and some villagers held a protest and demanded compensation for his next of kin.

    The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had earlier, however, said that the man died by suicide.

    The union had also accused the Haryana government of defaming the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

     

  • Haryana police arrests four in cryptocurrency fraud

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Police has arrested four fraudsters including the mastermind for allegedly duping people in the name of online business involving bitcoin transactions.

    Director-General of Police (DGP) Manoj Yadava on Thursday said the mastermind – Harinder Chahal alias Sonu Chahal – tricked victims into believing that he was in possession of bitcoins whereas the wallets held non-spendable (dummy) bitcoins.

    Chahal and his associates used the name of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, with an intention to cheat gullible persons on the pretext of offering them huge returns if they invest money online for bitcoin business, he said.

    The DGP said the issue came to light recently when Pravesh Kumar, a resident of Sector-23, Sonipat filed a complaint with the police alleging that he was cheated by Chahal, a resident of Madha village in Hisar district.

    According to an official statement, a case was registered in Cyber Police Station, Panchkula under relevant sections of IPC and IT Act, the DGP said.

    Police along with cyber experts started the investigation and it was revealed that several people were involved in this luring gullible people to invest in bitcoin.

    “The ongoing investigation, four accused along with their mastermind have already been arrested,” Yadava said.

    The DGP informed that Chahal created a fake Facebook account in the name of one Vikas Kumar and claimed to show the wallet address of the cryptocurrency exchange.

    On October 1, 2019, he gave this blockchain address through Facebook messenger and WhatsApp messenger to the complainant (Pravesh Kumar).

    Chahal duped Kumar of Rs 15,50,000 by fraudulently showing bitcoins in his wallet which in reality belonged to the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, the DGP said.

    “The complainant believed in the accused as 1,871 bitcoins existed in the wallet, which belonged to Binance and not to Harinder Chahal, at the time of the incident and hence got duped of his money,” he said. The DGP further said, “It was also revealed that Harinder Chahal has been found in possession of many cryptocurrency wallets but none of them had any actual bitcoins or any form of cryptocurrency.”

    “The wallets held non-spendable (dummy) bitcoins which were used fraudulently to trick victims into believing that the accused was in possession of bitcoins which in reality did not exist,” he added.

    Congratulating the crime branch team for busting the fraud, the DGP said, “We are collecting more information about the numbers of innocent people who have been cheated by the scammers. Efforts are being made to trace the other accused.”

  • Casteist slurs: Haryana IGP sends legal notice to cops over non-registration of FIR against DGP

    By PTI
    AMBALA: Senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar has sent a legal notice to the Ambala SSP and the Ambala Cantonment police station SHO for not registering an FIR against Haryana Police chief Manoj Yadava based on his complaint.

    Kumar, who is posted as Inspector General of Police (Home Guards), had accused Yadava of trying to humiliate and harass him on caste basis.

    In complaint filed with Ambala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hamid Akhtar on May 19, Kumar sought the registration of a criminal case against Yadava under the stringent SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

    In the notice, Kumar’s counsel Uday Singh Chauhan said that not registering an FIR based on the complaint amounted to wilful neglect of the statutory duty.

    “The office that is held by the addressee no.2 (SHO) is assumed to be aware of what it means for an offence to fall under the category of cognizable offence but the delay and heedless behaviour shown by him necessitates for me to explain what a cognizable offence means. The simplest meaning for an offence that is categorized as a cognizable offence is the one that warrants the need for registering an FIR without any further thoughts or preliminary enquiry,” he said.

    No preliminary enquiry is required to be conducted before registration of an FIR has been made amply clear by the law itself and has been rightly upheld by the Supreme Court.

    The section 18(A) of the act states that preliminary enquiry shall not be required, he added.

    “Not only has the addressee no.2 violated the statutory and legal obligations but he has also failed to the directions given to him by his senior i.e.addressee no.1 (SSP) and this makes both of you the above mentioned addressees liable to be prosecuted for non-registration of FIR under section 166A IPC and section 4 of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989,” said the counsel.

    The counsel further said both the addressees have clearly violated the directions so issued by the Supreme Court.

    “Thus now my client has no option except to give the present legal notice to intimate you prior to initiating the contempt of court proceedings in the competent court of law. Besides this, my client also reserves his right of knocking the doors of the court,” he said.

    In his complaint, Kumar had sought the registration of an FIR against Yadava under the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989, saying the DGP has “some personal grudge” against him due to him belonging to a scheduled caste.

    DGP Yadava had been “trying to harass, humiliate, insult, threaten and intimidate him in one or other way with discriminatory conduct,” Kumar had said in his complaint.

    Kumar had also accused Yadava of preventing him from entering a place of worship from August 2020 till date which, he said, amounted to “atrocity” and falls under the ambit of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act).

  • Alleged casteist behaviour: Haryana IPS officer lodges complaint against DGP under SC/ST Act

    By PTI
    AMBALA: A Haryana-cadre IPS officer has accused state police chief Manoj Yadava of trying to humiliate and harass him on caste basis, seeking the registration of a criminal case against him under the stringent SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

    Inspector-General of Police Y Puran Kumar lodged the complaint against the Haryana DGP with Ambala Senior Superintendent of Police Hamid Akhtar on May 19.

    In his complaint, he has sought the registration of an FIR against Yadava under the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989, saying the DGP has “some personal grudge” against him due to him belonging to a scheduled caste.

    DGP Yadava has been “trying to harass, humiliate, insult, threaten and intimidate him in one or other way with discriminatory conduct,” said Kumar in his complaint.

    Kumar also accused Yadava of preventing him from entering a place of worship from August 2020 till date which, he said, amounted to “atrocity” and falls under the ambit of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act).

    In his complaint, the officer alleged that he had visited a temple on August 3, 2020, situated inside the premises of Traffic police station Sahazadpur in Ambala.

    Later, the DGP in a semi-official letter asked him to inform whether any prior sanction of the government was obtained before setting up the place of worship in the police station, he said in the complaint.

    Kumar reasoned that similar places of worship also existed in other police premises throughout Haryana and most of which do not have any prior permission of the government.

    “However, till date, the DGP, deliberately and intentionally, had not sought any comments from other police officers posted at different districts, ranges and commissionerates,” he alleged.

    The officer had written to the DGP on January 29 this year, informing him that the said temple at the Sahazadpur traffic police station existed since 2011, much before he was posted as the Ambala range IG.

    He said he had written another letter in February this year to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajiv Arora and provided him with the details of the case.

    He requested the Ambala SSP to register an FIR under the relevant provision of the 1989 Act against DGP.