Thaindian News

Chandigarh, June 10 (IANS) Haryana’s main opposition party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Friday sought a judicial probe into the killing of a former village headman in which the names of two senior Haryana Congress leaders have come up.

“INLD seeks a judicial probe into this murder case,” party secretary general Ajay Singh Chautala told reporters here.

“We have lost all trust in the state police and demand that a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court should be asked to inquire into this matter,” he added.

Haryana Tourism and Transport Minister Om Prakash Jain and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Zile Ram Sharma were forced to quit Thursday after their names were linked to the murder in Karnal.

Jain and Sharma have figured in the murder of Karam Singh, whose stabbed body was found near the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal Tuesday. Haryana Police have handed over this case to the crime branch.

“Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had himself asked his leaders to resign. It proves he was also aware about their involvement in the crime. We demand their immediate arrest and Hooda’s resignation on moral grounds,” Chautala stated.

Just a day before his murder, the former village headman, who was in his 50s, had submitted a written complaint to Hooda and the police against Jain and Sharma about an alleged fraud committed on him.

Karam Singh had accused Jain and Sharma of duping him of nearly Rs.13 lakh on the pretext of providing government jobs to his son and two nephews. But they neither provided the jobs nor returned the money.

About the law and order situation in the state, Chautala said: “Crime rate is on all-time high and Hooda is not bothered about it.”

“This government’s land acquisition policy is also wrong. They have unlawfully grabbed hundreds of acres of farmers’ prime land, worth billions of rupees,” said the son of former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.