Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij assures Assembly of CBI probe into killing of INLD State chief

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told the Assembly on February 26 that a CBI probe will be announced in connection with the killing of the Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) State unit chief, Nafe Singh Rathee. Mr. Vij also denied the Opposition’s charge that the law-and-order mechanism has collapsed in the State.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told the Assembly on February 26 that a CBI probe will be announced in connection with the killing of the Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) State unit chief, Nafe Singh Rathee. Mr. Vij also denied the Opposition's charge that the law-and-order mechanism has collapsed in the State.

"If the House is only satisfied with a CBI probe, then I assure the members that we will hand over the case to the CBI," Mr. Vij said while speaking on an adjournment motion moved by the Congress over Haryana's law-and-order situation.

Speaker Gian Chand Gupta admitted the adjournment motion as the Congress demanded a high court judge-monitored CBI probe into Rathee's killing.

Soon after the Question Hour, the Congress members raised the issue of Rathee's killing and demanded a discussion on law and order.

Rathee and an INLD worker were killed when unidentified assailants sprayed their sports utility vehicle (SUV) with bullets at Bahadurgarh, near Delhi, on February 25. The attack, which came with less than two months to go for the Lok Sabha polls, drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties in the BJP-ruled State.

“Twelve people, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Naresh Kaushik, were booked on Monday in connection with Rathee’s killing,” police said.

“Mr. Vij told the Assembly that police are properly probing the incident, but when Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the case might involve various angles that can only be investigated by a central agency,” the Home Minister said a CBI probe will be announced.