Mandi: At Janjahli, a sub-division of the district, people in large numbers came out and protested today and demanded an investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the brutal killing of a young forest guard in the Seri Katanda forest area.
More than 500 people along with the parents of the dead forest guard held a demonstrations before the sub divisional magistrate’s office, and submitted their demand before the state government through the official. Earlier the protesters had blocked the road to Janjahli and had raised questions about the police investigation being conducted into the crime.
Hoshiyar Singh, a forest guard from Jharothi village under Janjahli sub division was last week found dead, hands tied and left hanging on a tree in Seri Katanda forest area which falls under the Karsog forest division.
Initially the police had registered case a murder case under section 302 Indian Penal Code (IPC) and started the investigations. Later two suicide notes are purported to have been recovered, one from the victims room and the other from the spot where he was found dead.
The police has arrested 5 persons, which includes a block officer of the forest department, and have also changed the changed the murder charge by evoking different sections of the IPC after recovery of the suicide notes.
The protestors have questioned the police’s investigation, especially the dilution of the murder charge to that of abetment of suicide. Residents of Tunga Dhar, Chattari and Janjahli participated in the protest
The parents and the protestors have pointed out that how was it possible for a person to have hang himself on a tree after having consumed poison, as the police is reported to now be probing it as a suicide case.
Paras Ram, Sohan Lal and Devi Dutt, relatives of the deceased have demanded an CBI inquiry, catching the murderers and handing out severe punishment for those responsible for the death of the forest guard.
A senior journalist who has spent more than a decade in the profession, working for Amar Ujala and Aapka Faisla.
