Girl, accompanying cop shot in Rohtak; SP hints at ''honour killing''

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 8

A local girl and a police officer from Karnal district accompanying her were shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants near the mini-secretariat here on Wednesday. At least seven bullets were fired at the girl and the police officer.

Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said the preliminary investigation indicated that it was a case of "honour killing" as the girl had married a Dalit youth and her parents were not happy with their wedding.

"Four persons have been rounded up for questioning. We have got vital clues and the shooters as well as the conspirators would soon be arrested," he maintained.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case, in which Ramesh, the father of the deceased girl, has been named. Ramesh had adopted the girl, Mamta, from his brother-in-law in 2002.

The Jat girl, who belonged to Rohtak, had eloped with a Dalit youth of Singhpura village in the district last year. They got married and sought police protection, but a scrutiny of their certificates revealed that the girl was a minor.

Following that, the youth was arrested. As the girl refused to go back to her parents, she was sent to a women shelter-home at Karnal. She was brought to Rohtak for a court appearance today.

Sub-Inspector Narender Kumar of Karnal police and a woman constable were accompanying the girl. The girl's mother-in-law Saroj and brother-in-law Dinesh alias Tinku had also come to meet Mamta. They were returning after the court hearing when the incident took place.  

They were in front of the local mini-secretariat near the courts complex when some motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at Mamta. As Sub-Inspector Narender tried to take out his revolver, the assailants fired at him as well.

The girl and the police officer were rushed to the local PGIMS, where they were declared dead by the doctors. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

Police investigators as well as forensic experts visited the scene of crime and examined the spot. No arrests had been made till the time of filing this report.