NEW DELHI (TIP): The CBI registered three cases on Thursday to probe incidents of violence and arson during the Jat quota agitation in Rohtak in February.
This is the first instance of the agency formally taking over the probe in a case related to the quota violence.
Two of the three cases pertain to violence and arson at the residence of Haryana’s finance minister Captain Abhimanyu in Rohtak that was the hotbed of the agitation.
“The third case relates to allegations of looting of weapons by thousands of armed rioters from a company of BSF and Haryana police and attempting to murder them while they were on law and order duty at the Delhi bypass in Rohtak,” said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s spokesperson Devpreet Singh.
The FIRs have been filed at the agency’s Chandigarh branch.
Only one of the three FIRs, pertaining to arson at Captain Abhimanyu’s residence, has around 40 persons named as accused.
The remaining are against unknown persons.
The spokesperson said the CBI took over the investigation on the request of the Ha ryana government and further orders from the department of personnel and training.
A total of 2,104 FIRs, including one for alleged gang rapes in Murthal, were registered in connection with the Jat quota violence and 701 people were arrested.
“A large number of persons were allegedly injured and some of them grievously in these violent attacks. It was further alleged that property worth crores of rupees was burnt and weapons of police guards were looted by the agitators,” said the spokesperson.
During a hearing on a petition with regard to violence during the agitation, the Punjab and Haryana high court had hinted last month that it may hand over all cases registered by the state police to the CBI.