Army officer accused the Punjab police of having an "indifferent attitude" towards the killing of his father and brother.
Chandigarh:
An Army officer, whose father and younger brother were killed allegedly by a gangster on May 12, has accused the Punjab police of having an "indifferent attitude" and said they failed to act on time.
Major Sushil Chikkara's father Jagbir Singh, 57, and younger brother Anil, 25, were shot dead -- allegedly by gangster Ajay alias Kannu Chhikara -- near Karewari village, Sanjay Kumar, a senior police officer of Rohtak, said on Tuesday.
The family has alleged that they were killed as they had not voted for the gangster's brother Sanjay Chhikara, who was contesting for the Sarpanch's post in Sonepat. Sanjay had lost the election, a local police officer, Mukesh Kumar, told reporters on Tuesday.
"We are trying to arrest Ajay and we have also announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest," Mr Kumar told Press Trust of India over phone.
Major Chikkara said the accused had planned the murders. "My father was facing a life threat from the gangster. I rang up the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, Bharti Dabas. A day before the murders, Dabas came to our village where locals told her that my father was facing life threat. But she did not care to visit our house and ask if we needed any security," he said.
"I had personally conveyed the information to the SP that our family is under threat, but no one cared," he added. "Had police acted on time, I am 100 per cent sure that my father and brother would have been alive today."
"Our duty is in far flung areas, on borders. But if our family members are not safe, then how can we defend our country. This should be taken very seriously," Major Chikkara said.
He claimed that prior to killing his father and brother, the accused had attacked two others in the village, of whom one has died, the other is battling for life.
Major Sushil Chikkara's father Jagbir Singh, 57, and younger brother Anil, 25, were shot dead -- allegedly by gangster Ajay alias Kannu Chhikara -- near Karewari village, Sanjay Kumar, a senior police officer of Rohtak, said on Tuesday.
The family has alleged that they were killed as they had not voted for the gangster's brother Sanjay Chhikara, who was contesting for the Sarpanch's post in Sonepat. Sanjay had lost the election, a local police officer, Mukesh Kumar, told reporters on Tuesday.
"We are trying to arrest Ajay and we have also announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest," Mr Kumar told Press Trust of India over phone.
Major Chikkara said the accused had planned the murders. "My father was facing a life threat from the gangster. I rang up the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, Bharti Dabas. A day before the murders, Dabas came to our village where locals told her that my father was facing life threat. But she did not care to visit our house and ask if we needed any security," he said.
"I had personally conveyed the information to the SP that our family is under threat, but no one cared," he added. "Had police acted on time, I am 100 per cent sure that my father and brother would have been alive today."
"Our duty is in far flung areas, on borders. But if our family members are not safe, then how can we defend our country. This should be taken very seriously," Major Chikkara said.
He claimed that prior to killing his father and brother, the accused had attacked two others in the village, of whom one has died, the other is battling for life.
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