Haryana DSP Surender Singh crushed to death by mining mafia

Tribune News Service

Nuh/Gurugram, July 19

Over three months before he was to retire, 57-year-old Haryana Police DSP Surender Singh was on Tuesday mowed down by a dumper that he had signalled to stop during a raid to check illegal mining in Nuh district’s Tauru.

Within hours of the crime, the police arrested the truck cleaner, Ikkar, following a brief encounter while raids were on to nab the driver, Mittar. The dumper was also recovered and impounded.

According to the police, the DSP, posted in Tauru, had received inputs regarding illegal mining in Pachgaon and he headed to the spot around 11.50 am along with his reader, gunman and driver. The police party, as per the FIR, spotted the dumper loaded with stones going uphill. It reached the hilltop and offloaded the stones even as the police reached the spot.

Without a number plate, the dumper had three or four occupants, all youngsters. Two of them allegedly brandished local-made ‘kattas’ (guns), asking the DSP to get out of their way. Realising the gravity of the situation, the police team withdrew from the spot. After a brief chase, the police again signalled the dumper to stop and asked its driver to show the papers. The driver, however, sped away the vehicle, running over the DSP even as the other police personnel managed to jump clear of the dumper. Truck cleaner Ikkar (25), a resident of Pachgaon, was arrested from a hideout in the Aravallis. He suffered a gunshot wound in his right leg and is undergoing treatment at the Nalhar Medical College.

“One of the accused has been arrested and raids are on to nab the other accused. They appear to be hardened criminals who dared to kill a police officer. We will take strict action,” said Haryana DGP PK Agrawal while speaking to The Tribune.

Nuh SP Varun Singla said when the DSP reached the spot, the truck driver, instead of stopping, ran over the police officer, killing him on the spot. ADGP (law and order) Sandeep Khirwar said a case had been registered under various sections of the IPC, including 302, 307 and 333.

Amidst the outrage over the incident, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on a tour to Gurugram, announced “martyr” status for the DSP, Rs 1 crore compensation and a government job to a family member. The Opposition Congress demanded Khattar’s resignation and a high court-monitored probe into the killing.

The DSP was declared “brought dead” and his post-mortem was conducted at the CHC, Nuh. The cremation will take place at his native Sarangpur village in Hisar tomorrow. He had joined the Haryana Police as an Assistant Sub-Inspector in 1994 and was to retire in October this year.

How it happened

• After inputs, DSP leads police team to raid illegal mining spot
• Dumper signalled to stop, but two of the four occupants brandish country-made guns
• Cops withdraw, then give chase. DSP Surender Singh signals dumper to stop again
• Driver, however, speeds away, mowing down DSP

Was to retire soon

• DSP Surender Singh joined the Haryana Police in 1994 as ASI, was to retire in a few months
• Lived with his family in Kurukshetra, hailed from Hisar
• Rs 1 cr aid, govt job for family

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