Unsolved crimes: 8 years on, cops shoot in dark in NGO convener attack case

A senior police officer said: “The case was followed up rigorously. The report from the forensic laboratory was sought to get a lead on the weapon so that its supplier could be traced. Ordinarily, through the make of a revolver or the ammunition, it is easy to trace the place from where the weapon has been sourced, even in case of countrymade revolvers, which could be easily procured from outside the state, especially from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar… However, no concrete lead came our way… eight years after a case was registered, it still remains unsolved.”

When contacted, Kathpalia said: “For the first three years, I followed up the case but then the police were not able to make any headway. We don’t know who is the culprit is but after the incident, neither me nor my organisation has received any threat.”

The police suspect that the firing could had been ordered by somebody who was affected by the various campaigns that Kathpalia was a part of. However, it asserted that the firing was commissioned to threaten Kathpalia and not kill her.

“Assailants hired in firing cases seldom miss their target. Therefore, we suspect that those hired were given a specific brief that they should only threaten Kathpalia… This could be to done to warn Kathpalia to withdraw from her campaigns,” the officer said.