Student leaders shot at during police action in Sonipat, kin allege ‘fake encounter’

Sonipat: A police encounter in Sonipat district has triggered a political and public outcry after two youths linked to a student organisation were targeted during a joint police operation. One of them sustained a gunshot injury, while the other was taken into custody.According to the police, the operation was launched following intelligence inputs related to suspects involved in a recent shooting in Rohtak. Acting on a tip-off, teams from the crime branch, Kharkhoda, and Gohana Sadar police station set up a checkpoint near Bhainswal village on Gohana-Farmana road.Police officials said when intercepted, the occupants abandoned the car and attempted to flee towards the fields. In the ensuing chaos, a confrontation allegedly escalated, leading to firing. One of the youths, identified as Shaurya, sustained a bullet injury in his leg, while his associate Amit was apprehended on the spot. Shaurya was shifted to the civil hospital in Gohana, where he is undergoing treatment, police added.Sonipat SP Ajit Singh defended the police action, saying it was based on credible intelligence inputs about fleeing suspects. He maintained that the naka was set up to intercept the vehicle, but the situation escalated when the occupants attempted to escape, prompting police response.Shaurya, a native of Badwasni and presently residing in Sector 23, Sonepat, along with Amit, is said to be associated with the student wing of the Indian National Lok Dal, known as INSO.However, the police version was strongly contested by the family members and leaders of the organisation. The kin alleged that Shaurya has no criminal background and that the police opened fire without proper verification or due process. They termed the incident a "fake encounter" and demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry.INSO president Ishu Dahiya also questioned the police action, claiming that both Shaurya and Amit were his close associates and were engaged in contractual drain-cleaning work. He said they had gone to inspect a work site in Aahuli village and had stepped out briefly to purchase cold drinks due to the intense heat.Dahiya further claimed that Shaurya had even shared a QR code for payment shortly before the incident and was on his way back when the shooting occurred. He reiterated that neither of the youths had any criminal antecedents.Later in the night, INLD district president Kunal Gehlawat, along with family members, met Sonipat police commissioner Mamta Singh, who assured a fair and transparent inquiry into the matter.
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