Salute to police officers who killed the rowdy. Please read to know why.
Haryana police on Thursday shot dead Ajay alias Kannu Chhikara, the gangster who had last month murdered the father and son of a serving Army commando Major Sushil Chhikara. Ironically, he was killed in the cremation ground of a village in Bathinda.
Kannu had shot and killed Jagbir Singh, 57, and Anil Chhikara, 25, of Karewari village on May 12 just because they had not voted for his brother in the panchayat elections.
The police had started tracking Kannu after the Army officer had written a heart-rending letter to Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki for action. "A soldier goes into battlefield leaving behind his family at home with the confidence that some law and order prevails back home to guard his loved ones,"; his letter read. "If he's ready to give his all for the country, the least the civil administration can do to reciprocate his selfless service is ensure protection and justice to the ones he leaves behind."
A team of Sonipat police, which had been following the gangster and his men, on Thursday intercepted them at a cremation ground in Jaga Ram Tirath village in Punjab's Bathinda district. A team of 20 cops led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sonipat Rahul Dev, apparently shot back after the goons opened fire at them. Kannu was hit by two bullets after which the others surrendered themselves.
The injured gangster was taken to a local hospital at Talwandi where the doctors referred him to Bathinda for further treatment. He succumbed to his injuries midway. Those who have been arrested by the police are Deepak alias Ford, Rohit alias Neetu, Rakesh and Bhola Singh. While Rakesh is Kannu's cousin, Deepak and Neetu are from his village. Bhola Singh is a native of Bathinda and facing several drugs-related cases.
Dev told reporters after the encounter that they had intercepted the phone call from Kannu and came to know of his presence in Bathinda. But when the cops reached the village, he fired at the police party with his 9mm pistol leading to the encounter. The cops have recovered six weapons, including a .315 bore gun, a revolver, a .32-bore pistol and a .12 bore gun with 54 cartridges.
'MESSAGE SENT TO CRIMINALS'
Reacting to the encounter, Major Sushil Chhikara told TOI that the police always had the capability to track down the goons but it would have been better had they acted with the same sense of urgency when Kannu had threatened to kill his father. "I know that my father and brother cannot be brought back but at least a message has been conveyed to criminal elements who don't value human lives" he said. He joined back on duty at Agra on Friday and received the information about the encounter over phone.