A retired forest department officer was killed in broad daylight in Haryana's Sonipat district after a heated roadside argument spiralled into violence. Jaipal Rathi, who had served as a Range Forest Officer, was struck on the head with a stone near an STP on Agwanpur Road in Gannaur and died on the spot.
An Argument Over Road Space Turned Deadly
According to available information, Rathi was driving to Gannaur for personal work when he got into a dispute with another man near the STP on Agwanpur Road, reportedly over who should give way. The disagreement escalated quickly, and in a fit of anger the accused picked up a stone lying nearby and struck Rathi directly on the head. The injury proved fatal, and Rathi died at the scene before help could reach him. As soon as word of the assault reached Gannaur police station, a team rushed to the spot and began investigating.
Accused Arrested Within Hours
Acting swiftly, police tracked down and arrested the attacker within a short span of time. He has been identified as Ravi, a resident of Mahra village in Sonipat district, who was living in Gannaur at the time of the incident. Early questioning has pointed to the roadside dispute as the direct trigger for the killing, although officers say they are still examining other angles connected to the case.
What the Station House Officer Said
Gannaur SHO Bir Singh said police received information about a clash in the area and rushed to the spot, where they found Rathi lying injured. As the probe progressed, the accused Ravi was arrested, and police are now questioning him to piece together the complete sequence of events leading to the attack.
A Similar Attack in Yamunanagar Days Earlier
This is not an isolated case in the region. Just days earlier, on Thursday, unidentified attackers shot dead a financier outside a gym in Yamunanagar's Model Town area. The victim, 62-year-old Harbhajan Singh of Prem Nagar, was stepping out of the gym when two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on him and fled the scene. Additional Superintendent of Police Ashish Chaudhary said Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Another Recent Killing in Rohtak
Last month, Haryana also saw a disturbing case in Rohtak, where a young man strangled his married girlfriend to death; her body was later recovered from a hotel room. The string of such incidents has raised fresh concerns about everyday safety across the state.
