Jhajjar riots: Note exposes police

CHANDIGARH: Jhajjar deputy commissioner

Anita Yadav

has painted a grim picture of the ineffectiveness of the police and army during the Jat reservation violence in Haryana in February in a letter sent to chief secretary during the violence. She had sent the letter to direct top officials to ask the local police to act to save the city from 'junglel raj' (lawlessness).

"Jhajjar shahar mein asamajik tatvo ne khooli loot macha di hai, sarkari sampati ke baad, bank or niji sampatiyon ko nishana banaya ja raha hai," said Yadav in her February 20 communication to chief secretary D S Dhesi. " Shahar dhoo-dhoo karke jal raha hai aur police, military hath pe hath dhar ke baithe hai. SP ko phone kiya to uska uttar tha kee mai kya kar sakta hun, mera kam sachivalya ki suraksha hai. (Anti-social elements are on the rampage in the city. After public property, they are now openly looting banks and private property. The city is burning and the police and military have become mute spectators. When asked for help, the SP said that what can he do, his job is to secure secretariat)."

In her 38-page report, she has also claimed that not only was the force inadequate to deal with the situation but also the SP had responded inappropriately to her requests. The Jhajjar SP, along with two deputy superintendents (DSPs), were shifted to Rohtak leaving the town at the mercy of agitators, she has pointed out. Jhajjar was among the most affected districts of Haryana after Rohtak during the violence. According to the DC's report, almost all government buildings were damaged by agitators.

Apprising the high court about the 'inadequate force' in the district, the DC states that only 450 personnel, including Haryana Police, military, India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), were in Jhajjar. She said 200 Haryana Police personnel were in Bahadurgarh and 75 cops in Beri during the violence, while the number of agitators was between 3,000 and 5,000 at each station.