Haryana home minister Anil Vij assures CBI probe in INLD leader Nafe Singh Rathee's killing

Anil Vij/ X

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij informed the Assembly on Monday that a CBI inquiry into the killing of Nafe Singh Rathee, the state unit president of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), will begin. This statement came amid opposition charges of a collapse in law and order in the state, stated a report in PTI.

According to the report, Vij disputed the opposition's charges about the breakdown of Haryana's law enforcement agencies. He stated that if the Assembly persisted on a CBI investigation, it would be conducted. The opposition, particularly the Congress, demanded that the CBI investigate Rathee's death under the supervision of a high court judge.

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"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," Vij, per PTI report, said while speaking on the adjournment motion.

Vij, in the assembly, had said, "I immediately directed the officials concerned to take action. I spoke to the DGP, the Jhajjar SP and the head of the STF, and directed them to catch the culprits at the earliest." He also added that efforts were on to trace the registration of the car.

Rathee and an INLD worker were fatally shot by unidentified gunmen near Delhi, eliciting strong condemnation from opposition parties. Despite initial police action, which included the arrest of twelve people, including a former BJP MLA, Vij recognised the possibility of involvement from other sides, prompting the decision to launch a CBI investigation, the PTI report stated.

According to the report, Congress lawmakers branded Rathee's assassination as the state's first political murder and questioned his lack of security despite documented threats. Opposition lawmakers expressed alarm about the overall law-and-order situation, noting citizens' sense of unease.

Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian made demands for a high court judge-monitored CBI probe of the incident. He also raised on questions on why Rathee was not provided adequate security despite him seeking security cover over threats to his life. "The question that arises is, why security was not provided to Rathee," he added.

Responding to the Opposition, Vij said, "It is being said that the entire law-and-order system has broken down in the state, which is not true."

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar paid tribute to Rathee in the Assembly, vowing speedy action against the perpetrators. Meanwhile, prominent INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala criticised the government for failing to provide proper protection for Rathee, the PTI report further stated.

The call for a CBI inquiry gathered traction across party lines, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also criticising the Khattar government's handling of the issue.

With PTI inputs