Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Aug 28: An elderly man, a Pujari in the local temple, was allegedly done to death by the neighbourers over a land dispute at Pathanmorha, near Dassal village, in Rajouri area late last evening.
While the accused party and a police official claimed that the ‘Pujari’, Sain Das Sharma committed self-immolation after pouring petrol on him, but the family members of the deceased alleged that Sain Dass was severely beaten up by 3-4 persons including Pawan Kumar ( J&K Police Constable in Security Wing), his sons and others done to death and then they poured petrol on him, just to enact drama, projecting that he had committed suicide.
The accused party after beating up Sain Dass took themselves him to hospital and told doctors there that he had committed self-immolation. The police party also arrived there and started investigation.
The doctors attending the patient (Sain Dass) declared him as brought dead. He had received hardly 20 percent burn injuries. Many physical injuries were also visible on his body.
Mintu, son of deceased Sain Dass said that his mother was sick and they had gone to Jammu for her check up on Sunday. Only his father and daughter, Varinda were at home. His father used to perform Puja in the morning and late evening in the nearby temple constructed in their land. Entire village used to perform Pooja there.
Last evening around 8 pm his father was returning home from the temple. In the lane, as informed by Varinda and other people in the area, Pawan and his other family members intercepted his old father and started abusing. The father resisted and then Pawan and others started him beating and they dragged him inside their home and started beating. He cried for help, crying …. `Bachao, Bachao’.
The villagers rushed there and Varinda also heard cries of his grandfather and ran towards their home. She told that Pawan and other family members were shifting Said Dass in their vehicle when she arrived. When Varinda asked what happened to her `Dadu’ and where he was being taken, they said they were taking him to hospital. When Varinda also tried to sit in the vehicle, she was pushed away by Pawan’s son and they sped away from there.
The police claimed that there was an old dispute over land between Sain Dass and his neighbour Pawan Kumar, son of Shiv Parkash.
It said a case FIR No. 410/2023 U/S 306,109 IPC was registered instantly in Police Station Rajouri. The police claimed to have arrested Pawan Kumar besides his two sons- Sourabh(JK Bank employee) and Akash and Pawan’s wife Asha Devi.
SSP Rajouri, DySP headquarters and SHO claimed that fair investigation will be done in the case. A Medical Board conducted postmortem and special team is being constituted to conduct fair investigation. The familys members, relatives and villagers claimed that if police tried to derail fair investigation, they will block highway and launch agitation.
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