Dalit youth's killing was a case of gang-war: Police

SONEPAT: The killing of a Dalit youth in Gohana town seems to be a case of gang-war between two groups of hard-core criminals over extortion of money, police said on Saturday.

Talking to mediapersons here, Senior Superintendent of Police Navdeep Singh Virk said preliminary investigations have revealed that the conspiracy was hatched by the prime suspect Dinesh Khanda with the help of Sanjay Butania, now in jail, and Narash of Busana village to kill the Balmiki youth Rakesh alias Lara. Their objective was to extort money from the businessmen which so far Rakesh had been allegedly doing in Gohana town, he said.

Dinesh Khanda was released on four-week parole on May 11 this year, but he did not return to the jail. He contacted Naresh and one Prahlad and committed the murder, police said.

The arms for this murder were arranged by the gang leader Dinesh Khanda.

As many as eight criminal cases had been registered against the deceased Rakesh between November 2001 and August 2007. Four of these cases against the deceased have been registered on the complaints of the residents of the Balmaki Basti in Gohana, he said.

Meanwhile, national general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party Man Singh Manhera has refuted the claim of the SSP Sonepat that the murder was the result of extortion of money.  He alleged that the police were hiding the facts.

The BSP will hold demonstrations at all the district headquarters on September 5 in protest against the murder.

The Gohana town was hit by violence after the youth was shot dead by unidentified men on August 27.