Brig (retd) Joshi cremated amid heart-wrenching scenes

PrashantNews

The mortal remains of Brigadier (retd) Mukesh Joshi, who was killed in a crossfire, were consigned to ashes in Dehradun on Wednesday amid the chants of Jai Hind.

Joshi’s son lit the pyre amid as heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed with a large number of people gathering at the cremation ground to pay their homage to the departed soul.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the house of Brig Joshi to pay his tributes and asserted that strong action would be taken against the culprits. “The security of the people is our top priority,” the CM said.

Former chief minister Harish Rawat was also present in the cremation ground. “I attended the funeral of the retired Brigadier Mukesh Kumar Joshi, and paid him my heartfelt tributes.
I pray to God to grant this noble soul a place at His divine feet and to bestow upon the bereaved family the strength to bear this unbearable loss. This is a big loss to India,” Rawat said.

Joshi, who was on a morning walk, was killed in a crossfire on Monday after a violent clash between employees of a night club and a group of students, some from Delhi and Bihar, erupted on Mussoorie Road shattering the peace of Dehradun.

Four persons have been arrested so far including Sandip Kumar (43), the owner Zen Z Night Club on Mussoorie road which has also been sealed. Four more persons involved in the firing are absconding.

Last month, two persons were killed in different firing incidents in Dehradun in the broad daylight with the Doonites expressing widespread concern. Few days before these killings, a young woman was also hacked to death in the city.

The latest firing incident occurred near Johari Gaon and Malsi zoo on the foothills of Mussoorie where the occupants of two speeding vehicles, Scorpio with no registration number and Fortuner with Delhi registered numbers exchanged 8-9 rounds of fire that led to the killing of Joshi.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that a dispute had erupted over the payment of bill between a group of students and the Zen Z club employees in the wee hours of Monday. The dispute led to the clash. After sometime, when the club employees were going home in Fortuner, they were chased by the students in Scorpio. Soon, the exchange of fire occurred between the occupants of the two vehicles.A bullet struck Joshi, who immediately collapsed on the roadside. Joshi was declared dead in the nearby Max hospital.

Taking a serious view of the killing, an excise inspector and a police sub-inspector were suspended.