Protesters demand stringent action against accused

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 28

Kotfatta residents today staged a protest and gehraoed the police station seeking justice in the killing of two young grandchildren by their grandmother and father. Later, the protest was lifted after police officials gave an assurance over their demands.

This morning, members of the action committee supported by various farmers and labour unions took out a protest march in the city. Later, they also blocked the road outside the police station.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU Krantikari) state president Surjit Singh Phul, who was heading the protest said police officials were helping accused Lakhwinder Singh Lakhi, a tantric, who allegedly helped a woman and her son kill her two grandchildren in an apparent bid to invoke evil spirits, to get away in the case.

He alleged that investigating officer Darshan Singh took the accused to the relative of the deceased and registered their statement in favour of Lakhi to weaken the case.

They demanded that the police should take the case seriously and initiate strict action against the accused.

Leaders lashed out at tantriks and claimed that this was not the only case as earlier too they had witnessed murder cases in which tantriks had brain-washed people.

They also appealed to the people to stay away from such people and don’t come under their influence.

When they started the protest, newly appointed SHO at the Kotfatta police station, Parminder Singh, came out to the protesters and tried to pacify them by stating that he was new at the place and didn’t know what happened earlier.

He assured the protesters to resolve the issue through a meeting.

The action committee decided that they would continue the protest while some of their members hold talks with the Bathinda (Rural) DSP Kuldeep Singh Sohi.

In the meeting, police officials pacified the protesters and showed them the case file prepared by them against the accused.

The police officials said due to the resentment of protesters, SHO of the Kotfatta police station had been transferred to the Police Lines. Later, the protesters lifted the protest.

While talking to Bathinda Tribune, DSP Kuldeep Singh Sohi said they had resolved the issue through talks. “They had some misconception regarding the police supporting the accused but their issue was cleared as we showed them that the police had prepared a case file against accused Lakhi. There is no question of leaving him from the case. Even the accused tantric Lakhi is already behind the bars.”

On March 8, the grandmother with the help of her son had tortured and brutally killed her two grandchildren under superstition at Kotfatta.

It was learnt later the accused tantric Lakhi was guiding the accused in the act and he had given prasad to the accused, after which they committed the crime.