New Delhi:

The nephew of Nafe Singh Rathi was at the wheel when the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader was riddled with bullets last afternoon near a Railway crossing in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. Rajesh has told police in his complaint that Mr Rathi, his maternal uncle, was sitting on the front left seat, right next to him, in the Toyota Fortuner SUV.

The rear seat was occupied by a gunner posted in the 66-year-old INLD leader’s security and a party colleague, Jaikishan Dalal. The SUV was waiting at the Barahi railway crossing on the way to Bahadurgarh when a car stopped behind it. Five men approached the SUV and fired at least 20 rounds, Rajesh has said.

According to the complaint, one of the shooters told Rajesh after the firing stopped, “Tujhe zinda chor rahe hain, jake inke ghar bata diyo (we are sparing you, go and tell his family.)”

On the basis of Rajesh’s complaint, police have registered a case of murder against seven people, including BJP leader Naresh Kaushik, and several relatives of Bahadurgarh municipal corporation chaiperson Saroj Rathi. Charges of criminal conspiracy and Arms Act have also been slapped against the accused.

CCTV footage from the vicinity has shown an i20 car tailing the SUV Mr Rathi was travelling in. The same camera has captured the car returning about 20 minutes later. Police suspect the killers came in this car.

The broad daylight shooting has sent shockwaves through Haryana and sparked criticism for the Manohar Lal Khattar government months ahead of the general and state elections. INLD leader Abhay Chautala has alleged that Mr Rathi, the party’s Haryana chief, had asked for more security months back, but it was not provided. The Congress and AAP, too, have slammed the state government over the shocking incident.

“Not a single culprit involved in this case will be spared. Police have been instructed to arrest the accused as soon as possible and take the strictest action,” Chief Minister Khattar has said.

New Delhi:

The SUV in which Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Nafe Singh Rathi was travelling in had stopped at a railway crossing yesterday when a car stopped near the vehicle. Five men got off, and what followed was a spray of bullets at the Toyota Fortuner the INLD leader was in. Sixty-six-year-old Rathi and one of his aides were killed in the shooting, and two others were left critically injured.

Police are now looking for the i20 car the killers are suspected to have used. In CCTV footage from the area in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, the car is seen following the SUV as it approaches the railway crossing. The same camera captured the car returning, about 20 minutes later.  

Mr Rathi was sitting in the front and his nephew was driving. At the rear were INLD leader Jaikishan Dalal and a gunner deployed for the INLD leader’s security. Police sources said about 20 rounds were fired, most of them at the prime target.

NDTV visited the spot this morning, hours after the attack sent shockwaves through the state. Pieces of glass from the car’s windows were on the ground. The railway crossing in Barahi is on the way to Mr Rathi’s home in Bahadurgarh. It was shut at the time and the killers, police said, took this opportunity to complete their task. Police sources said the attack appears to have been carried out by professionals.

A case of murder has been registered against BJP leader Naresh Kaushik and several family members of Bahadurgarh municipal corporation chairperson Saroj Rathi, among others.

Senior police officer Arpit Jain said five teams led by two DSP-rank officers are investigating the killing. “We will trace the killers at the earliest,” he said.

“Not a single culprit involved in this case will be spared. Police have been instructed to arrest the accused as soon as possible and take the strictest action,” Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said yesterday.

The Opposition has slammed the state government and alleged a breakdown in Haryana’s law and order situation. INLD leader Abhay Chautala alleged that Mr Rathi wasn’t provided security even though he had “asked for it in writing” months ago. The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party also targeted the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the incident.

Mr Rathi’s name hit headlines last year in an abetment to suicide case. Former Haryana minister Mange Ram Rathi’s son had Jagdish died by suicide and a case was registered against Mr Rathi under charges of abetment. Allegations of harassment were also levelled against Mr Rathi and his nephew Sonu. The INLD leader was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court on January 24 last year.

Chandigarh:

The Indian National Lok Dal’s Haryana unit president Nafe Singh Rathi was killed this evening when unidentified men fired at the SUV he was travelling by in Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district. The attack, which came months before the Lok Sabha elections, is drawing sharp reactions from opposition parties, which alleged a breakdown in law and order in the BJP-ruled state. INLD leader Abhay Chautala has claimed that six months ago, Rathi gave in writing that his life was in danger but “no security was provided to him”.

“I hold the state government responsible for this because six months ago, Nafe Singh Rathi told me that the police informed him that his life was in danger and he could be attacked anytime. I spoke to the SP about it. He wrote to the SP, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and DG that they must investigate this and provide him with security but no security was provided to him,” he claimed

Asking for a CBI probe into the incident, Mr Chautala said, “Those who need the security are not getting it, instead, those who are accused in several cases are getting it. So I clearly hold the Chief Minister responsible for this incident. If someone is giving in writing that his life is under threat, then the Chief Minister should have conducted an investigation and provided him with security. We will demand that a CBI investigation should be done in this and the accused should be punished.

#WATCH | Jhajjar: Haryana INLD leader Abhay Chautala says, “The incident that has taken place today (death of party chief Nafe Singh Rathee), for this the state government is responsible. They are responsible because, six months ago, Nafe Singh told me, the police informed him… https://t.co/uVAmhsvFYkpic.twitter.com/1jKWEPtBlV

— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2024

On gangster Lawrence Bishnoi being linked to the attack, he said that this is the government’s ploy to “save itself”.

“The government is trying to save itself by taking the name of the Lawrance gang, but if what they are saying is true then why didn’t they provide any security,” he said.

The men came in a car and fired indiscriminately at the SUV Nafe Singh Rathi was travelling by. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party also hit out at the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the incident.

Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “The news of INLD state president Nafe Singh Rathee being shot dead in Haryana is very sad. This reflects the law and order of the state…Today no one is feeling safe in the state.” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sushil Gupta said that “rule of law has ended in Haryana and jungle raj prevails”.

“No one is safe in Haryana today,” he added.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has instructed the officials to take immediate action in the case.