SIT questions 4 accused in INLD Haryana chief Rathee’s murder case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jhajjar police probing the killing of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) state president Nafe Singh Rathee and a party worker questioned four out of 10 named accused at Bahadurgarh police station on Friday.

Senior police officials who are leading the probe said that former Bahadurgarh MLA and BJP leader Naresh Kaushik, Bijender Rathee, his son Sandeep Rathee and Bahadurgarh municipal council vice-chairman Rajpal Sharma appeared before the special investigation team, and they answered various questions.

“Bijender and Sandeep answered various questions for four hours, Rajpal Sharma appeared for two hours, and former MLA Kausik appeared in the evening for questioning,” the officials added.

Also Read | Nafe Singh murder: Who is Kapil Sangwan, gangster who claimed responsibility on Instagram for the crime?

The police officials refused to share more information about the incident as the investigation is underway.

Man held for threatening Rathee’s family

The Jhajjar police have arrested a man from Rajasthan for threatening Rathee’s family members. The police are bringing the accused to Bahadurgarh, said a police official.

Rathee’s elder son Bhupinder, his councillor wife Preeti and younger son Jatinder, who is also a councillor in the Bahadurgarh municipal council, had received threat calls both through mobile network and WhatsApp.

Nafe’s nephew Kapoor Rathee said that the caller had sent the picture of a weapon, saying that the same would be used to kill them, but they did not stop talking to the media about the INLD chief’s murder.

Also Read | Former MLA among 12 booked in INLD Haryana chief’s murder case

“There is no possibility of gang rivalry behind the assassination of my uncle Nafe Singh and party worker Jai Kishan. Our family has no relations with gangsters. The accused are misleading the investigation by making such claims from fake accounts that a gangster Kapil Sangwan is behind my uncle’s killing. Such tactics are being used to mislead the probe,” he added.

He said that his uncle Nafe had no relation with the gangster, Mahal Singh, and anyone can meet the politician during day-to-day affairs, claiming that the alleged murderers had registered two fake FIRs against his uncle in Uttar Pradesh on January 5 and both FIRs were cancelled later.

“A senior BJP leader, who is booked in my uncle’s murder case, was the main architect in lodging two fake FIRs against him. The first FIR states that my uncle sought ₹2 lakh extortion per month and in the second FIR, one of the accused in my uncle’s killing, lodged an FIR against a man, who died during Covid-19. We run businesses of petrol pump and gas agencies and pay ₹2.5 lakh tax per day and how my uncle can seek an extortion of ₹2 lakh and later both FIRs were cancelled,” he added.

The family members of Nafe Singh showed an old video in which the INLD leader stated that he met chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar twice demanding security citing life threat.

“Police officials told me (Nafe) that you did not receive any threat. Would they give me security after someone gave me threat calls. Have you heard about anyone who told a person before killing him? I recently met the chief minister on December 26, but he did not give me security. Instead of providing security, the police had taken back my licenced revolver,” Rathee could be heard in the video.

Despite repeated attempts Jhajjar superintendent of police (SP) Arpit Jain could not be reached for a comment.