Vendor dies within hours of extortion racket complaint

CHANDIGARH: A roadside vendor, Gulshan Kumar, 44, was found dead at his house in Rohtak barely hours after he lodged a complaint about an extortion racket being run by local contractors. Rohtak police have claimed to have arrested all the six accused named in complaint, including racket mastermind Ajay Hooda, a parking contractor of Rohtak Municipal Corporation.

Gulshan used to sell ice candies from his cart stationed outside the shopping complex near Rohtak PGIMS traffic signal. Hooda and his men had taken the complex shops and parking on lease and they had been forcing the vendors to pay them Rs 200 per day.

Police said that on Saturday morning, Gulshan and five other roadside vendors had registered a complaint against Hooda and his associates. In the evening, some persons alleged to be associated with Hooda threatened Gulshan. On the same night, Gulshan died at this house. The reason of the death are still not clear and the police are waiting for visceral examination report.

It was only after the situation took a tragic turn that the police woke up and transferred the probe in the whole issue to crime investigation agency (CIA) staff, headed by inspector Rakesh Kumar.

"We arrested Hooda and his three associates, Jitender, Ravi and Pardeep, on the same day. While his two associates Ankit and Vikas were arrested on Sunday morning. Ravi is from Jind, rest are from Sanghi village here. ," said inspector Kumar. "Hooda, who is already facing trial in another criminal case, owns shops on PGIMS light point and parking contracts of hospital and Rohtak civil secretariat," he said.