BJP demands NIA probe in Chamba murder case, stages demonstrations across Himachal

PTI, Jun 17, 2023, 5:28 PM IST

The BJP on Saturday staged demonstrations across Himachal Pradesh to demand an NIA probe into the murder of a man whose chopped remains were recovered from a drain in the state’s Chamba district. The BJP also submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla through deputy commissioners in each of the state’s 12 districts.

Rajiv Bindal, the BJP’s state unit chief who submitted the memorandum in Sirmaur district, also demanded the constitution of a special investigations team to probe into cases of people going missing.

The BJP has also sought a departmental inquiry into the encroachment of government lands by the main accused and financial assistance to the victim’s family, it said in a statement. Criticising the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, the BJP accused the administration of obstructing Opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, from entering Salooni in Chamba to meet the victim’s family.

The chopped body of Manohar Lal, a resident of Bhandal village, was found in a drain in the Bandal panchayat of Salooni subdivision on June 8, two days after he went missing.

A couple was among three people arrested on June 13 for allegedly killing Lal, who belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, and chopping his body into pieces over his relationship with their minor niece, police said. They have been identified as Shabir, Musafir Hussain — the main accused — and his wife, the police said.

In Dharamshala, the BJP’s Kangra district chief Chandrabhushan Nag alleged that incidents of anarchy and hooliganism increase whenever the Congress government comes to power.

He pointed out that the ”Gudiya” rape-and-murder case occurred during the previous Congress regime, adding that both the cases disturbed the peace in Devbhoomi. Nag emphasised the need for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation, citing the suspicious background of the main accused who allegedly owns substantial property and faces allegations of encroachment on government land.

In the statement, the BJP claimed that villagers the had accused Hussain of encroaching on 100 bighas of government land. The BJP cautioned that it would launch a statewide agitation if the accused is not given severe punishment.

Avinash Rai Khanna, the BJP’s state in-charge has written to the National Human Rights Commission chairman and requested him to take cognizance of the incident and provide compensation to the victim’s family. The district authorities in Chamba had imposed prohibitory orders to prevent further flare ups in the Salooni subdivision after a mob on Thursday set fire to Hussain’s house.