A year before Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Nafe Singh Rathi was shot dead in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, he was accused of abetting the suicide of a BJP leader. Rathi’s family has now accused the BJP leader’s relatives of hatching the plot to murder the INLD leader.
In January last year, BJP leader from Bahadurgarh, Jagdish Rathi, died by suicide. The son of former Haryana minister Mange Ram Nambardar, Jagdish had accused released an audio note days before he consumed poison. The audio clip mentioned several people, including Rathi. He had alleged that they had grabbed their shop in 2019 and had threatened to grab their ancestral land and house too. A case was registered against Rathi and others, but the court granted him anticipatory bail.
Now, the list of accused in the INLD leader’s murder include Jagdish Rathi’s son Gaurav and brother Satish. BJP leader Narendra Kaushik, and three relatives of Bahadurgarh municipal corporation chairperson Saroj Rathi are also among the accused. The accused have been charged under sections relating to murder and criminal conspiracy. They have also charged under the Arms Act.
Rathi’s son Jitendra told NDTV that they had received information that the INLD leader and his family members were on target. “I was also under watch. I stopped going to the gym. My brothers were followed. Several attempts were made to target my father but God protected him, but the killer needs only one opportunity,” he said.
Jitendra added that Rathi met the district police chief and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and sought a security cover. “He had sent written applications to everyone, including the DGP, CID, principal secretary and the Home Ministry, seeking security for our family. But they kept denying our request. So, the state government is also involved in the conspiracy behind my father’s killing,” he alleged.
The INLD leader’s son alleged that local BJP leaders are involved in the killing. He added that the use of advanced weapons in the shooting suggested that the killers got adequate funds.
Rathi, who was the chief of INLD in Haryana, was returning to his Bahadurgarh home when the attack took place. His SUV had stopped near a railway crossing when a car pulled up and five shooters rained bullets at him and others in the SUV. While Rathi and one of his aides died, two others suffered serious injuries.
The Manohar Lal Khattar government has come under fire over the shooting. INLD chief Abhay Chautala has said Rathi had repeatedly sought security cover but it was not provided.
“Not a single culprit involved in this case will be spared. Police have been instructed to arrest the accused as soon as possible and take the strictest action,” Chief Minister Khattar said yesterday.
