KARNAL: In a swift administrative crackdown following public outcry over alleged fake encounter killings, the Haryana government restructured its police leadership by transferring 29 IPS officers, including the top police brass of Karnal district. Orders released by the state home department confirmed that Karnal Range IG Ashok Kumar and SP Narender Bijarniya have been removed from their positions. Former CBI officer Ashwin Shenvi takes charge as the new Karnal Range IG, while Karan Goel steps in as the district’s new Superintendent of Police.
The sudden transfers come as a direct fallout of the August 7 encounter near Goghripur village, where police personnel shot dead two youths, Harsh and Birbal. The police action came shortly after intense protests over the daylight murder of Veeru Valmiki, with officers maintaining that the slain duo was involved in the crime. The operational narrative was immediately challenged by local community members, who questioned the circumstances of the encounter, demanded a CBI inquiry, and sought accountability from both elected representatives and senior district officers.
The state administration acted swiftly to diffuse rising tension by reassigning the officers involved, sending Ashok Kumar to PTC Sunaria and posting Narender Bijarniya as SP, STF (Headquarters). Representatives of the aggrieved families declared that administrative transfers must be followed by a transparent, independent investigation to establish the full truth. State authorities affirmed that the newly posted leadership will prioritize restoring public trust and upholding rigorous legal procedure across all ongoing district investigations.
