Muzaffarnagar: members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and local villagers staged a massive protest at the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office, demanding a fair investigation and justice in the murder case of Rohan Rathi—son of Vivek Rathi, the village head (Gram Pradhan) of Hareti in the Purkaji police station area. During the five-hour-long sit-in, heated arguments broke out between the farmers and police officials. The protesters insisted that the SSP come out of his office to address them. The sit-in finally concluded around 4:00 PM, following assurances from SSP Suraj Kumar Rai.
Why Are Farmers Questioning the Police Probe in the Rohan Rathi Murder Case?
During the protest, BKU leader Monu Pradhan raised serious allegations against the in-charge of the Crime Branch and the Purkaji Station House Officer (SHO), questioning the integrity of the police investigation. The farmers stated that the victim’s family was dissatisfied with the probe and demanded an impartial investigation, along with strict action against the actual perpetrators. Tensions escalated further when a delegation, sent to hold talks with the SSP, engaged in a heated exchange with the officials.
SSP Assures Narco and Polygraph Tests on Two Accused as Farmers End Five-Hour Protest
Due to the persistent stance of the protesters, senior officers—including SSP Suraj Kumar Rai, SP (City) Amrit Jain, and SP (Rural) Mahadik Akshay Sanjay—were effectively confined to the office premises. After about five hours, the SSP personally stepped out to meet the protesters and hear their grievances. He assured them that a narco-analysis test and a polygraph test would be conducted on the two suspects already in custody, and promised that further action would be taken based on the facts that emerge from these investigations. Following this, the farmers announced the end of their protest.
Rohan’s body was discovered near a field on September 24.
It is worth noting that the body of Rohan Rathi, son of Hareti village head Vivek Rathi, was found near a field in the village’s rural outskirts on September 24. While the police have already arrested and jailed two suspects in connection with the murder, the victim’s family and the villagers remain dissatisfied with the police investigation. A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the case. A medico-legal team from Lucknow, working alongside the SIT and a cyber team, has inspected the crime scene and conducted a reconstruction of the incident.
Despite this, the concerns of the villagers remain unaddressed. Village councils (*panchayats*) have previously been held to demand a CBI investigation into the murder. On Wednesday, a large number of farmers arrived at the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office to press for this demand and staged a sit-in protest. While the agitation has now concluded following assurances from the police, the victim’s family is awaiting the next steps in the investigation and its eventual outcome.
Reported by rohit
