Sirsa police register two cases of celebratory firing

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, November 19

In two separate incidents, the Sirsa police have registered criminal cases for resorting to celebratory firing in the open in Darba Kalan village of Nathusari Chopta police station and Panjuana village under the Baragudha police station in Sirsa district.

Videos of the newly elected sarpanch of Darba Kalan village Santosh Beniwal had gone viral on social media in which she was dancing on music with two other women and fired seven shots in the air from a pistol. Another similar incident was reported in Panjuana village in which a youth, Jagdeep Singh, was seen loading a double barrel gun and opening fire in the open while dancing on music along with another youth, Lavkesh, and another person.

The police had registered separate FIRs in both cases on the complaints of security agents of the police in respective districts. In the Panjuana village case, Head Constable Gurjinder Singh who is deployed as the security agent of the Baragudha area lodged the complaint that he had received a video clip of the firing incident on his mobile number on the night of November 17 (Thursday). He stated in the complaint that the youth had resorted to firing while celebrating the victory of the newly elected sarpanch of the village.

In the Darba Kalan village incident, Assistant Sub-Inspector Subhash Chander reported that he had got a video message on his whatsapp number in which Santosh Beniwal, wife of Nandlal Beniwal, was seen dancing and firing from a pistol.

Santosh Beniwal has been elected sarpanch in the recently contested election held in the second phase of the Panchayati Raj Institutions’ polls. Darba Kalan is a hypersensitive village in the PRI polls as Santosh Beniwal, who is the wife of the brother of former MLA Bharat Singh Beniwal, was contesting against Shruti Beniwal, who is the wife of the brother of Congress leader Pawan Beniwal. Pawan Beniwal had contested the previous byelection from Ellenabad on the Congress ticket.

Santosh Beniwal later clarified that though she had two licences for one pistol and one 12 bore gun, the firearms were deposited with the police in view of the election. “I came to know about a viral video. I have not indulged in such an act post my election victory as I am not in possession of the firearms. It seemed to be a very old video, which had been uploaded on social media by someone”, she stated in a video statement.

Police sources though admitted that it seemed to be an old video. “The police have registered cases under Sections 27 and 29 of the Arms Act, Sections 188 and 285 of the IPC and Section 67C of the IT Act in both cases and started investigation”, said an official.

Probe on in both cases

On the complaints of security agents of the police in respective districts, FIRs have been registered in both cases under Sections 27 and 29 of the Arms Act, Sections 188 and 285 of the IPC and Section 67C of the IT Act. The police have begun investigation in both cases.

It is an old video

I did not indulge in any such act post my election victory as I am not in possession of any firearm. It seems to be a very old video, uploaded on social media by someone. — Santosh Beniwal, sarpanch, Darba Kalan village

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