Rohtak Village Sarpanch Shot Dead Inside His House, Former Haryana CM Hooda Calls for Strict Action

Unidentified assailants shot dead the 75-year-old sarpanch of a village in Haryana's Rohtak district inside his home, police said on Friday.

The assailants came on a motorcycle to the residence of Balkrishan, the village head of Chidi in Rohtak, and sought to meet him.

As they were allowed inside, the armed men shot Balkrishan at close range.

"The sarpanch died on the way to PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak," Deputy Superintendent of Police Shamsher Singh Dahiya told PTI over the phone.

He said police were hopeful of making early arrests in the case.

"We have registered a case and further investigations are on," the police officer said, adding that the motive behind the crime was not immediately clear.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda reacted strongly to the killing of the sarpanch and alleged that law and order in Haryana has completely collapsed under the BJP-led government.

Hooda, who is Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, spoke with the Rohtak SP and the Haryana DGP over the phone and demanded quick and strict action in the matter.

He demanded that the government give job to a member of the deceased sarpanch's family.

"Everyday there are reports of murder, robbery and theft from all over Haryana, including Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Bhiwani and Jind, and jungle rule seems to prevailing in the state. No one is happy with the current government in the state except the criminals," Hooda said in a statement.

Hooda alleged that the situation has now reached a point where criminals have lost all fear of the law and are targeting not only the common citizens but also the police and public representatives.

"Today people are neither safe outside the house nor in their homes. In Chidi village, criminals entered the house of Sarpanch Balkrishan Valmiki and killed him. This is very unfortunate and tells us how brazen the criminals have become," he said.