Retired Army captain beaten to death in Haryana

Haryana: A 70-year-old retired Army captain, Ram Singh, was brutally beaten to death by a group of five to six men in Mahendragarh’s Mulodi village on Sunday night, police confirmed on Monday.

The incident occurred around 11:45 pm when the accused allegedly barged into the victim's home and attacked the family with sticks and sharp-edged weapons. Captain Ram Singh succumbed to the assault, while other family members, including his son, wife, and mother, sustained injuries.

According to the deceased’s son Rampal, who is serving in the Haryana Police, the attackers included the village sarpanch Praveen, his brother-in-law Arun, another local named Rakesh, and several others. Rampal alleged that the attack was politically motivated, citing previous threats from the sarpanch after the family voted against his preferred candidate in the panchayat and assembly elections.

“They started thrashing me, my wife, mother and father. They killed my father with sticks and fled in a white Bolero,” Rampal said. He also claimed that the sarpanch had been harassing the family for not supporting him in local polls.

Inspector Chhatar Pal, Station House Officer at the Nangal Choudhary police station, said an FIR has been registered against six individuals—sarpanch Praveen, Arun, Rakesh, and three unidentified others—under murder charges. Police teams have been formed to arrest the accused, who are currently absconding.

“Both families had enmity over petty issues. The Captain died and some family members were injured following the quarrel. CCTV footage from the village is being reviewed,” the SHO said.

The incident has sparked outrage in the area, especially given the deceased's background as a retired Army officer. Further investigation is ongoing.