Ludhiana cops look for clues in the factory where the bank employee, Harish Kumar (on chair) was found dead on... Read More

LUDHIANA: A Ludhiana businessman has been accused of killing an employee of Indusind Bank , with whom he had a dispute over an attempt to illegally convert demonetised cash into legal tender.The body of Harish Kumar, 25, was found in businessman Sandeep Jain's plastic chair manufacturing factory late on Sunday night. Jain and one of his workers were arrested early on Monday morning. Kumar's family has alleged that he had helped Jain legalise Rs 3 crore demonetised cash earlier but had failed to return Rs 13 lakh for the past couple of months. Kumar's mother Chanda Devi, 72, has alleged that Jain had even abducted her husband and her for 11 days and confined them in the factory over the dispute. According to the FIR , the parents were released only after Jain had allegedly abducted Harish.

“Though Harish had given Jain a plot of land in Kaithal in lieu of the remaining amount, the accused continued with his demand claiming that the plot was not worth Rs 13 lakh,“ the victim's uncle Devi Lal has alleged. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-IV) Sandeep Garg said the police have lodged an FIR against Jain and his accomplice Romy Verma for kidnapping and murder.

“We have recorded the statements of Kumar's relatives who are claiming that the murder is linked to the monetary dispute they two had over demonitisation,“ said Garg. Devi has alleged in the FIR that both the accused had come to their house on September 7.“They told us that Harish owed Jain Rs 13 to 14 lakh.When we told them Harish was away , they forcibly took us both to the factory and kept us confined in a room.On September 17 morning, Sandeep told us that he had abducted Harish and was freeing us. Later he told me that he had killed Harish.“

Harish's uncle said, “On Sunday evening, I received a call from one of the politicians known to me that Jain had killed my nephew and the accused were trying to get away by using influen ce,“ The family members rushed to the factory and found it locked from outside.After entering the premises, they found Harish's bruised body on a chair.

Accusing cops of being indifferent, Devi Lal added, “Harish gave a complaint to the Daba police a couple of days after his parents were abducted. I have seen the entry in the daily diary but cops took no action. If police had acted promptly . Harish could have been saved.“

Commissioner of police R N Dhoke said, “The SHO received a compliant on Sunday and the FIR was registered soon after.“ He claimed that Harish was kidnapped on Sunday while he was returning home.

