Row over C’garh HM’s squad embarrasses Raman govt

The special squad was formed early this year with the purpose of pro-actively tackling crimes like gambling and sale of illicit liquor across the state,under the direct supervision of the state Home Minister. But in the last seven months,the “HM squad” landed up in five controversies after its staff allegedly assaulted owners and staff of road side eateries,pan and grocery shop owners at Ambikapur,Narayanpur,Bhatapara,Kharora and Dhamtari.

Even as there were allegations that the squad members were indulging in extortion,questions are also being raised over Home Minister’s personal assistant Laxmikant Dewangan himself accompanying the “HM squad” during these raids. Earlier,a journalist-turned-MLA’s representative used to accompany the squad but Kanwar later shunted him out following a complaint that he sought bribe to avoid action by the squad. Police is now probing a complaint against this person and others who were part of the squad during their ‘raid’ at Dhamtari in May this year.

The latest incident took place on November 30 at Surajpur in tribal Sarguja district where the “HM squad” members had beaten up proprietor of a road side ‘dhaba” and allegedly took away ‘ 43,000. While the ‘Dhaba’ owner Prakash Kar lodged a complaint with the police that five-six persons,who claimed to be members of special squad of the state home ministry,had food from the ‘dhaba’ after midnight and refused to pay,leading to an altercation. He alleged that that later these persons brought liquor bottles,kept in their own vehicles,and recorded its seizure,along with ‘ 17,170 from the ‘dhaba”.

However,the squad members reported that they had in fact raided the road side eatery following a tip off regarding illegal sale of liquor.

The police have registered cases on the charges of dacoity and rioting and against Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar’s personal assistant Laxmikant Dewangan—an RSS swayam sewak—who accompanied the squad,assistant sub-inspector M R Tanwar,head Constable Sanjay Bhagat,constables Vijay Pandey and Srikant Patel. Medical examination revealed that two of the squad members were under the influence of alcohol.

Earlier,Kharora town in the outskirts of state capital observed a bandh and people came out on streets,alleging high-handedness by the “HM squad”on October 24. As the people alleged that the squad members had beaten them up and threatened to implicate them in cases of bootlegging,local BJP legislator Devji Bhai Patel came out in open,alleging “extortion” by the men in uniform.

Patel said he wrote letters to Chief Minister Raman Singh,Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan seeking to know under which provisions of law such a police squad—that reports directly to the Home Minister—has been constituted. “The activities of the squad have dented the image of both the government and the party”,he said.

Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar,however,is strongly defending his squad,claiming that it had done a good work so far in containing sale of illicit liquor and gambling across the state. “It’s the prerogative of the Chief Minister to take a decision whether to continue the squad or to scrap it. In any case,the drive against unauthorized sale of liquor and social ills like gambling will continue”,he asserted.

Top government officials and senior police officials are tightlipped over the matter,saying it was a matter to be resolved by the state’s political leadership.

State Congress general secretary and party’s Chief spokesman Ramesh Warliyani said the opposition wants removal of home minister from the ministry as the decision to set up such a squad was ‘ab-initio illegal’. He said Kanwar had bullied and got his proposal through,even though the senior police officers were against setting up such a squad which reports directly to the minister.

Police sources claimed the setting up “HM squad” was the fallout of differences between Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar and Director General of Police Vishwaranjan on many issues. Subsequently,Kanwar managed to set up a special squad which was entrusted with the specific task of checking illegal activities like unauthorized sale of liquor and gambling.

When contacted,Principal Secretary (Home) N K Oswal told The Indian Express ” In fact,it is a special squad constituted by the DGP. I don’t know who named it as HM squad. As far its dissolution or winding up is concerned,its for the Home Minister to decide”. However,he refused to elaborate on the controversies surrounding the special squad.