Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 30 Jun: Bhim Army workers heading to Tehri to meet the family of Ketan, victim of the widely discussed Tehri murder case, were stopped by police at Shankaracharya Chowk in Haridwar today. Heavy police and paramilitary deployment was made and barricades were erected to prevent vehicles from moving forward. The workers staged a protest and insisted on being allowed to proceed to Tehri.
It may be recalled that 3 days earlier, Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan and Khanpur MLA Umesh Kumar had also attempted to march to Tehri with their supporters but they were also intercepted at the same point following intelligence alerts. A scuffle had broken out with police and workers created a commotion, after which police assured that the leaders would be allowed to meet Ketan’s family in Haridwar, itself.
Today, Bhim Army workers again gathered in Haridwar and attempted to move towards Tehri but were stopped at Shankaracharya Chowk with barricades, police and paramilitary forces, and even fire brigade vehicles stationed on the highway for security.
Senior officers including SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar, SP City Abhay Singh and SP Rural Shekhar Chand Suyal reached the spot and tried to pacify the workers. Despite this, Bhim Army members raised slogans and created a ruckus. Meanwhile, Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan managed to move ahead through another route, though his supporters remained adamant about going to Tehri. The protest caused a traffic jam on the highway for nearly an hour until police persuaded the workers to shift to Damkothi for talks and cleared the blockade.
Bhim Army workers alleged that Ketan, a Dalit youth, was brutally murdered in Tehri and his family is living in fear. They claimed that their chief and MP Chandrashekhar Ravan is being forcibly prevented from meeting the family. Police officials maintained that large numbers of people were attempting to march to Tehri and to preserve law and order discussions were held with senior leaders, while most workers were stopped in Haridwar and only key leaders were allowed to proceed.
According to reports, Ketan Lal of Deval village had a friendship with a girl. On the night of 7–8 June, after receiving a call from her, he went to Kholgarh village with his friend Diwakar Dimri on a motorcycle. There he was caught by the girl’s father, brother and relatives, who held both the young men captive and assaulted them. Ketan was beaten in front of the girl, leading to his death. The incident has sparked outrage and protests, with Bhim Army workers demanding justice for the victim’s family.
