Haryana Police file case after threat to Maharashtrian family

Karnal (Haryana), Nov 8 (IANS) Police Saturday registered a case of trespassing and intimidation in this town after a Maharashtrian family alleged that two armed men had barged into their house here and asked them to leave the state.

The threat has spread panic among the nearly 500 families from Maharashtra that live here, 120 km from Chandigarh, as they feel it could be in revenge for attacks on north Indian migrants in Maharashtra.

The case was registered on a complaint filed by Kalpana, the wife of local contractor Vijay Suryavanshi and a leader of the women's wing of the Haryana Janhit Congress. She alleged that she was threatened Wednesday.

'After receiving the complaint in which the woman has alleged that two men forcibly entered her house and threatened her, asking her to leave town, police have registered a case of trespassing and intimidating against the accused. Our investigations are on and we are taking this case very seriously,' A.S. Chawla, superintendent of police, told IANS.

He added: 'Hundreds of families from Maharashtra are living here and only one family has received such a threat. Moreover there has been no repeated threat to the family.'

But Kalpana said: 'We were shocked by the threat. This has never happened to us here in so many years.'

Chawla said that some anti-social elements had blown the issue out of proportion and the situation in Karnal town was under control. He said there was no threat to any migrant community living there.

'After questioning the complainant's neighbours, police came to know that those men had come here to get the house where the complainant's family is living on rent vacated. In a fit of anger, the men said she would have to face the same consequences as minorities (non-Maharashtrians) in Maharashtra are subjected to if they do not vacate the house on their own,' said Chawla.

But police have stationed beat constables in the area where Maharashtrian families live.

"We are scared after the recent incident. Anti-social elements can take advantage of the situation and harm us. We are even reluctant to send our children to school," a Maharashtrian living here said.