Bhopal:
As outrage over the death of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Narendra Kumar - who was allegedly killed trying to stop illegal mining in Madhya Pradesh - grows, his father on Sunday hit out at the Madhya Pradesh government and appealed to the police to raise their voice against the incident. Keshav Dev, speaking exclusively to NDTV, said he wants justice for the death of his son.
"I gave a diamond to the Madhya Pradesh government, they gave me dustbin of ashes... I appeal to the police to raise their voice against this incident ... I'm crying for justice. Please support me in this fight," said Mr Dev.
The IPS officer's father has alleged that his son's death was a conspiracy. 30-year-old Kumar was killed on Thursday when a man driving a tractor ran over him. Mr Kumar had tried to stop the tractor, which was loaded with illegally-mined stones in the Morena district. Mr Kumar spotted the tractor while he was out patrolling. When the driver refused to stop, Mr Kumar got out of his jeep and blocked the tractor's path. The driver ploughed into him.
The local police had denied that the driver, identified as Manoj Gurjar, was part of a larger conspiracy to assassinate Mr Kumar, as alleged by his family. One of the senior policemen handling the case, DP Gupta, said that going by eyewitness accounts and evidences available so far, it appeared that the driver had no links with the mining mafia.
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister had on Saturday asked for a judicial probe in Mr Kumar's murder. However, Mr Kumar's wife, Madhurani Tewatia, later that day demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing.
On Sunday, speaking to NDTV, Ms Tewatia said she had the support of the entire nation but not of the government.
"I am very disappointed with the government. I'll be serving them through my life... no condolence, not one word. It has been four days... The whole nation is with me except my government. If people can understand, why not them? Why would anyone want to serve the country if they don't even get respect," she said. Ms Tewatia is an IAS officer herself, and is expecting a child soon. (
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Mr Kumar was posted at Banmore as a Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) a month ago and had taken on the mining mafia by cancelling several licenses and seizing a number of trucks and tractors engaged in illegal quarrying. Morena district is rich in stones meant for construction and the sand here is one of the finest in the country.