CHANDIGARH: The murder case filed against a gardener Ram Pal for killing two CREF hens in Sector 41 on the night of July 1 took anew tum when his wife Kusma Dev alleged that one of the CRPP jawans had taped her while the other held her husband at gunpoint.

Immediately after the incident she was taken to the Sector 39 police station beaten up by police men to extract statement that she was familiar with the CRPF men and released only on Duly 7 with instructions to leave the city Kusma Devi told newsmen

She could not go to her village in Rae Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh because she had very little money so she took shelter in the house of a relative Somebody advised her 10 ask the help of former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan After hearing her story  Dhawan called newsmen and presented her before them.

The two CRPF men identified as Naik Umedh Singh and Lance Naik Om Prakash were killed in the Captain Nursery located close to the Chandigarh-Mohali border. The police said they were killed by four men one of whom was later identified as Ram Pal the gardener of the nursery. However Kusma Devis story is completely at variance with the police version.

According to Kusma Devi two men one carrying a rifle and another a stenguns came to the nursery around midnight on July 1 The couple and their one-year old child were sleeping outside their hut Initially Kusma Devi and her husband thought that the farmed men were militants or bandits. Therefore Ram Pal told them that they could take away whatever they wanted. Kusman Devi said that one of the men took away Ram Pal at gunpoint while the other gagged her then went on to “dishonor” her. After some time Ram Pal managed to distract the attention of the man who had taken him away. In a quick action he picked up an iron rod that ay nearby and hit the man on the head killing him on the spot.

Then he rushed back and attacked the other man also with the same rod Kusma Devi shouted for help. In no time a number of people living in nearby huts gathered. However by that time the other man had also fallen to Ram Pals blows. The owner of the nursery who lives nearby was called and he summoned the police.

While waiting for the police somebody noticed the weapons and they realized that the dead men were neither militants nor and its. Had my husband known that they were policemen perhaps he wouldn’t have dared to attack and kill them” said Kusma Devi

Kusma Devi said she was taken to the police station where policemen beat her up twisted her arms and pulled her by the hair to make her admit the she was familiar with the CRPF men. Her husband was also beaten. The police also took her thumb impression on paper on which something was written said the illiterate Kusma Devi.

White she and her child remained in the police station some other gardeners informed the family of her husband. Ram Pals elder brother Jia Lal came from the village and visited the police station on July 7. The police freed Kusma Devi but told her to go t0 her village.

Jia Lal who was also present at Dhavans residence said he was warned not to talk to anyone about the incident. In return he was promised Rs 500 on the seventh of every month from next month. The police also arranged Rs 200 for them from the nursery owner Jin Lal said

Dhawan lashed out at the police for not sending Kusma Devi for a medical examination after the incident for keeping her in illegal custody for a week for beating her and for putting out “purely concocted story” to cover up the misdeed of the CRPF men.

Why had the CRPF men gone to the nursery at midnight? What was the provocation for Ram Pal to kill them? Why is the] police version silent on the (questions? Dhawan asked and demanded that a case of rape be registered immediately.

He announced that the Nyaya Morcha would provide all legal and financial assistance to Kusma Devi and her husband Kartar Singh Thakkar president of the legal cell of the Morcha will fight the case on behalf of Ram Pal. The Morcha will also honor Ram Pal who showed extraordinary courage in killing two armed men Dhawan announced.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992