Abohar Killing - A gruesome murder in the house of Dodas

Standing 6 ft, 2 inches tall, the heavyset Bhim Sen Tank was seen entering the sprawling 38-acre farmhouse of Akali halqa incharge and liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda in an Innova before noon on December 11.

Bhim Singh Tank

Accompanying him was his friend Gurjant Singh ‘Janta’, an agriculturist. It was half an hour later that Gurjant’s brother, Ranjit Singh alias Rana, who was waiting outside with three-four aides, got a call from Gurjant that they had been attacked. Rana claimed that when he and his aides forced their entry, they saw Bhim lying writhing in pain on the lawn of the fortified farmhouse some 200 metres away from the high gates. His feet and arms had been severed. A curious ‘AS’ was scribbled in blood on one of Bhim’s shoes. Gurjant, with his right hand chopped off, was lying at quite a distance. The assailants, Rana told The Tribune, fled on seeing them enter the farmhouse.

Shiv Lal Doda

Gurjant later told the police how more than 10 men, who he claimed were Bhim’s former colleagues in Doda’s flourishing liquor business, attacked them with knives and cleavers as soon as they entered the farmhouse.

If the assailants have a sizeable criminal record, so did Bhim. Known for his “special skills” in the liquor business, Bhim, his family and friends claimed, had left Doda’s business seven months ago. He had 11 FIRs registered against him for cases like trespassing, causing grievous injuries, attempt to murder, snatching and threatening. Even Gurjant has three FIRs against him. Nearly 28 hours after the December 11 attack, an FIR was registered on Rana’s complaint. It mentioned how Bhim, “former president of the pick-up union, used to prevent charging of illegal tax on trucks by two men, Raja and Wazir Singh, and they became his enemies”. “On December 11,” he told the police, “Harpreet Singh alias Harry (an accused in the FIR) called up Gurjant to come along with Bhim to the Doda farmhouse near Ramsara village where Amit Doda (nephew of Shiv Lal) would effect a compromise between Bhim and Raja-Wazir.”

Rana told the police that this information was conveyed to him and their uncle Jaspal Singh by Gurjant. “When he and Bhim went to the farmhouse, present inside were Harry, Wazir Singh, Radhe Shyam alias Radhiya, Gulabia, Devinder alias Paari, Vicky Pandit, Simran, Chhaju, Happy Thakur and seven unidentified persons.  They overpowered both Bhim and Gurjant. Harry, Wazir, Raja and Gulabia chopped off Bhim’s hands and feet, while Vicky Pandit, Radhiya and Happy chopped off Gurjant’s right hand.”

Main accused Paari

Gurjant, in his statement to SSP Inder Mohan Bhatti, gave graphic details about the sequence of events: “Bhim called me up around 10 am, saying Amit Doda and others were calling him to the farmhouse past midnight and that he would have to go. I told Rana to meet me near the farmhouse. Inside, I and Bhim saw Harry with two others. As soon as we stepped out of the vehicle, men came from different directions and attacked us. They kept shouting that Bhim has to be taught a lesson for daring to leave Amit’s work and opening his dhaba. They attacked us with sharp weapons.” In the statement, the SSP specifically asked him, “Did any of those inside tried to save you?” Gurjant replied, “No. All were hell-bent on butchering us.”