By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 10 Aug: Rashid Pahalwan, the main accused in the incident of stone pelting on the Kanwadias in Sahaspur area that had occurred some days ago, has turned out to be a history sheeter with many serious crimes registered against him.
The Dehradun Police has initiated strict action against Rashid Pahalwan by going into his background only to find that many serious cases are registered against him and he is locally known as a land mafioso in the Pachhwa Doon area (western part of Dehradun district). Fresh cases of stone pelting, misdemeanour and attempting to create communal strife have been registered against him now at the Sahaspur Police Station. According to the local police, Rashid Pahalwan is a land grabber known to bully people in the Pachhwa Doon Area. He is a politician, too, and is a former district panchayat member. He has ‘A’ category of crimes registered against him and the Police have opened his crime history sheet once again.
The Police have stated that Rashid Pahalwan, son of Abdul Hameed alias Middu Pahalwan, a resident of police station Sahaspur area, has been involved in criminal activities for the past several years. He has been known to grab land through intimidation as well as through other fraudulent means. He also has charges of kidnapping, demanding ransom, threatening people and even insurrection against him. Most of these cases are registered at Police Station Sahaspur. The Police have further claimed that they had been regularly monitoring his activities. The history sheet has been opened against him some days ago and, at present, he is under arrest and lodged in Dehradun District Jail.
The bigger question, however, is what had been the Police doing to stop his criminal activities before he was found to be involved in stone pelting on the Kanwadias. Sources claim that Rashid has the backing of some senior leaders in the state. His arrest has come after Dehradun SSP Daleep Singh Kunwar directed strict action against those who have disturbed communal harmony and those who have illegally encroached on lands by intimidating the general public with bullying.
