Series of sensational incidents kept state in limelight

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

Haryana continued to be in the limelight in 2014 owing to a series of crime incidents, including certain sensational ones.

Be it the Satlok Ashram stand-off, alleged molestation incident involving the Sonepat sisters, sensational Gohana bank robbery or heinous crime, particularly against women, Haryana remained in the news for wrong reasons. Besides Rampal of Satlok Ashram, Sirsa-based Sacha Sauda Dera chief Sant Ram Rahim Singh also continued to remain embroiled in controversy with the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordering the CBI to investigate the alleged castration of sadhus at the dera.

The ‘Satlok Ashram stand-off with Rampal challenging the might of the state for several days gave sleepless nights to the political and police establishments. While the police conducted a clean operation against Rampal, who used women and children as a human shield, besides flaunting an armed private army, the indecisiveness of the Khattar Government in the run-up to the police action left many questions unanswered.

The Sonepat sisters, who bashed up three boys after an alleged molestation bid, kept Haryana in the limelight for days with the Khattar Government rushing with the announcement of a Republic Day honour for the gutsy duo. However, with the boys’ versions of the story emerging, the Khattar Government took a U-turn and decided to put the award on hold till an ‘inquiry’ was conducted into the matter. The court intervened and both boys and the girls underwent the polygraph test to bring out the truth.

In October, Haryana reported a Bollywood-inspired heist at the PNB branch in Gohana (Sonepat) with the robbers decamping with jewellery worth crores from lockers after digging a 125-foot-long tunnel from an adjoining house. While the police was quick in cracking the case, the incident generated much interest and concern with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sending Joint Intelligence Committee chairman RN Ravi to the break-in site.

There was no respite from violent crimes in the state with murders, kidnappings and crime against women, especially rapes, being reported at regular intervals. However, the Lok Sabha and assembly elections passed off by and large peacefully.

DGP SN Vashisht retained his post apparently for his handling of a series of incidents like the Satlok Ashram standoff and the Gohana bank robbery, besides conducting peaceful elections even as there was widespread speculation that he might be replaced by the new BJP Government.

Highlights

*Satlok Ashram incident, Sonepat sisters keep Haryana in limelight

*Sensational Gohana bank robbery evinced keen interest from PMO

*No respite from widespread crime, particularly against women

*Khattar Government retained DGP SN Vashisht despite speculation to the contrary

*HC ordered a CBI probe against Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the sadhus’ castration case