Haryana's Jat quota riots: CBI files three cases

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered three cases of violence during the agitation over Jat reservation in Haryana in February which left at least 30 persons killed and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees destroyed, an official said on Thursday.

The CBI took over the investigation of these cases on the request of the Haryana government and on further orders from the central government, the official said.

Two of the three cases pertain to the violence and arson at the residence of Haryana's Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu while the third case relates to allegations of looting of weapons from a company of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Haryana Police and attempt to murder them by thousands of armed rioters.

The Jat protesters demanding reservation education institutions and employment under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category had attacked the Haryana Finance Minister's house and set ablaze his car in Rohtak.

"It was alleged that the BSF and the Haryana Police officers were on law and order duty at Delhi-Rohtak bypass when they were attacked," the officer said.

It was also alleged that property worth crores of rupees was burnt and weapons of police guards were looted by the agitators.

Haryana was on boil between February 14 and 23 this year when members of the Jat community held protests and indulged in arson, to press for reservation quota. The epicentre of the violence was the state's Rohtak district.

--IANS

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