The Opposition targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over the murder of a private firm employee, Gaurav Chandel, in Noida last week, with the Congress and the BSP accusing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's dispensation of laxity and indifference.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
Chandel, a resident of 5th Avenue Gaur City, was returning from work in Gurgaon on the night of 7 January. Around 10:30 pm, he called up his wife to inform her that he was at Parthala Chowk and would reach home in five minutes.
Around 4 am on 8 January, he was found unconscious along a service road between Parthala Chowk and Hindon Vihar while his SUV, wallet, laptop and other belongings were missing, in a suspected loot-and-murder case. He was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead, the police said.
Chandel’s family alleged that after 45 minutes since his call they panicked and started calling on his number but he did not respond. Then they along with a few neighbours approached the local Cherry County police post where no help was provided to them.
Later, they reached Bisrakh police station where they requested to put Chandel's phone on surveillance but the officials there kept dilly-dallying the matter, citing the case did not fall in their jurisdiction, and two crucial hours were wasted.
WHAT ARE OPPOSITION PARTIES SAYING?
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Chandel's family should get justice at the earliest.
"Gaurav Chandel, who worked as a manager, was murdered by criminals in Noida. The government action in this loot-and-murder case has been lax so far," she tweeted in Hindi.
"If the morale of criminals in a place like Noida is so high, what will be the situation in the whole of UP," she asked.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati asked the Yogi government to pay attention to issues of crime control and maintenance of law and order.
"Public anger is continuously rising across the entire region due to the government's cover up and indifference in the Gaurav Chandel murder case in Noida. It will be better if the UP government gives up this kind of laxity in matters of crime control and law and order and gives proper attention to public welfare," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.
WHAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN?
SHO Manoj Pathak and three sub-inspectors Veerpal Singh Tomar, Rajendra Kumar and Maan Singh of a police station in Greater Noida have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the loot-and-murder case, officials told PTI on Saturday.
Also, a sub-inspector in charge of Cherry County police post in Greater Noida (West) has been taken off duty and sent to police lines for "unsatisfactory" work approach.
Earlier on Friday, Inspector General (Meerut Range) Alok Singh and Commissioner Anita Meshram visited Gaur City and met with Chandel's family.
Meanwhile, the IG Range Meerut has directed all police stations to immediately respond to such cases and file a case irrespective whether it falls in their jurisdiction or not.
"If the case falls in other police station's jurisdiction, the case can be transferred there subsequently but probe must begin without delay,” Singh was quoted as saying in a press note.
The case of Chandel's loot and death is now being probed by Phase II police station and officials are yet to make any breakthrough.
Protests have been carried out in Greater Noida (West) with several demanding 'Justice for Gaurav Chandel' over the week.
(With PTI, IANS inputs)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)