Zeenews Bureau
Bhopal: Father of deceased Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Narendra Kumar, who was allegedly killed on Thursday afternoon, by the stone mining mafia demanded justice for his son from the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
Talking to reporters, IPS officer’s father Keshav Dev said that his son had got many threatening calls in the near past. Dev`s son was killed when a tractor laden with illegally quarried stones ran over him in at Banmore town of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The officer was cremated at his native village with full state honours in the presence of thousands of mourners.
“He used to tell me everyday how many tractors he had challanned, I used to ask him, not to do so and instead tell the police authorities to take action against the people involved in illegal mining. But, he used to day that police doesn’t take any action and instead sets the culprits free”, Narendra’s father said. "It is clear that this was a well-planned conspiracy. He did not receive cooperation of the local police. He stopped vehicles carrying stones for check. Is it the work of the IPS officer, or the work of a thana-level police?" Kumar`s father Keshav Dev further said.
When asked about taking on the state government, the aggrieved father said he has no courage to take on the establishment.
Accusing the state government of inaction, he further said that his daughter-in-law also faces threat to her life. Talking to reporters, Narendra’s father gave a detailed account of how his daughter-in-law was earlier transferred on the behest of a BJP MLA from Rajgarh district. He questioned the order of transfer.
However, he refused to divulge the name of the MLA.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that he will take a big decision in regard with the IPS officer’s murder case.
Narendra Kumar, 32, sub-divisional police officer of Bamor, was killed yesterday when a tractor-trolley, suspected to be laden with illegally-quarried stones, ran over him when he tried to stop it, police said.
MP Home Minister Minister Uma Shankar Gupta told reporters that the government would take a stern action against those responsible, and especially against mining mafia.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, he added.
Gupta said the tractor driven by a person identified as Gurjar was arrested and a case registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC against the people involved.
Kumar, a 2009 batch IPS officer, was on probation. His wife Madhurani Tewatia, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is also posted in Madhya Pradesh but is presently on maternity leave and was away in Delhi at the time of the incident.
Kumar signalled the driver to stop but he did not pay heed. So, he followed the vehicle, cut in and stood in front of the vehicle after getting down from his jeep.
But the tractor driver, Manoj Gurjar, drove on and knocked down the officer who was crushed under the wheels, DIG Gupta said.
The officer was declared brought dead at the hospital, he said, adding prima facie it appeared that the mining mafia, which is active in the area, was responsible for the incident.
The DIG said Kumar had been trying hard to stop illegal quarrying activities in the area and in the process he got killed.
He said Gurjar was being interrogated and "we are trying to ascertain whom he was working with".
Inspector General of Police SW Naqvi said the tractor did not stop on being asked by Kumar and ran him over.
Naqvi said Kumar had never reported any kind of threat to his life.
"Absolutely no.. There was no threat to him. He did not express any kind of threat to anybody", he added.
DGP Nandan Dubey said it was not correct to say that mining mafia was ruling the area. Kumar has already taken actions in 20 cases where no license was found,he added.
"Kumar was an exceptionally outgoing kind of officer. He was taking a lot of initiatives....and he has taken significant actions", he said.
With PTI inputs