CBI to investigate murder of INLD Haryana Chief Rathee

Rathee was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar district, on Sunday, leading to the death of an associate as well.

| Updated: 26 February, 2024 4:13 pm IST
CBI Probe ordered into murder of INLD Haryana chief Nafe Singh Rathee

NEW DELHI: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij declared in the Assembly on Monday that a CBI probe would be initiated into the killing of Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) Haryana chief, Nafe Singh Rathee.

The announcement comes in the wake of widespread protests by the Opposition, questioning the state government’s handling of law and order. Rathee was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar district, on Sunday, leading to the death of an associate as well.

The Opposition, particularly Haryana INLD leader Abhay Chautala, placed blame squarely on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, asserting that Rathee had alerted the police about threats to his life but received no security.

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Chautala emphasised, “He (Nafe Singh Rathee) wrote to the SP, CM, and DG that they must investigate this and provide him with security… Ex-MLAs also informed the CM, but no security was provided to him.”

The police revealed that the assailants, who arrived in an i-10 vehicle, fired multiple shots at Rathee’s car near the Barahi gate, injuring three security personnel and eventually leading to Rathee’s demise. Four individuals, including former MLA Naresh Kaushik, Ramesh Rathi, Sathish Rathi, and Rahul, have been named in the FIR related to the murder.

Haryana Police assured ongoing investigations into the matter, with CCTV footage surfacing to aid the probe. The footage reportedly captured the attackers in an i20 car, moments before ambushing Rathee’s SUV. Police are now on the lookout for the i20 car believed to have been used by the killers.

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In response to the mounting concerns over the incident, Home Minister Anil Vij addressed the Assembly, stating, “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.” The Opposition, led by Congress, raised the issue of Rathee’s murder during the Assembly session and demanded either a high court judge-monitored or high court judge-led CBI investigation.

The killers, caught on CCTV, displayed a chilling intent. The footage reveals individuals in an i20 car following Rathee’s SUV as it approached a railway crossing, only to return approximately 20 minutes later. The attackers, who fired about 20 rounds at Rathee’s vehicle, reportedly spared the life of Rathee’s nephew, telling him that they wanted him to inform others about the attack.

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