5 days on, DCP marks probe into missing brothers’ case

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, August 22

Five days after two brothers - Manavjit Singh Dhillon and Jashanbir Singh Dhillon - plunged into the Beas from the Goindwal bridge alleging harassment by Jalandhar Thana No. 1 police officials, family and friends of the duo, led by Manavdeep Singh Uppal and Sarabjit Singh, today met the DCP (Investigation), Jalandhar, Harvinder Singh Virk, demanding a departmental inquiry and action against the cops responsible for alleged harassment of the brothers.

The Jalandhar DCP has marked an inquiry into the case to ADCP (Investigation) Bhupinder Singh.

Divers hired to trace bodies

While bodies of the two brothers are yet to be found, the family has employed a divers’ group from Ludhiana to search for them. Sarabjit Singh, a friend and lawyer for the brothers, said, “There has been no headway in the search yet. Due to the lack of an ominous and visible search, we have employed some divers privately to look for the duo.”

Meanwhile, the family of the two boys also approached the police in support of SHO Navdeep Singh today.

In their complaint letter, the brothers’ family has formally named three police personnel of Thana No. 1 - SHO Navdeep Singh, lady constable Jagjit Kaur and ASI Balwinder Kumar.

A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Chairperson of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission.

Family members of Parminder Kaur (regarding whose matrimonial dispute with her husband Gurmeet Singh, Manavjit had approached the police) also accompanied Manavjit’s family today. They also held a protest holding banners, bearing photos of the brothers and slogans: ‘Justice for Dhillon Brothers’, “Manavjit te Jashanbir de doshian nu saza dao’ (Punish the culprits).

The letter of complaint, from the brothers’ cousin Manavdeep Singh Uppal, alleged that the behaviour of the three named officials was biased towards the boy’s (Gurmeet’s) side; that the boy’s side, in presence of police officials, threatened Parminder Kaur and Manavjit Dhillon, among other family members, and the police showed an inclination for the boy’s side.

The complaint also accuses the aforesaid police officials of harassing Manavjit, falsely implicating him in a DDR under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC —- all of which caused the eventual suicide. It also alleges that the “working of all cameras” of the police station No. 1 were “deliberately and intentionally damaged” to prevent the truth from getting out.

The complaint concludes: “Harassed by the police officials”, Manavjit and Jashanbir Dhillon committed suicide by jumping from bridge of Beas river in Kapurthala district on August 17, 2023.

The complaint states that the police officials used their power “illegally and in a biased manner”, therefore “strict departmental inquiry may be conducted” against them.

DCP (Investigation) Harvinder Singh Virk, said, “An inquiry has been marked to the ADCP (Investigation) to look into the case and the investigation by the Kapurthala police will also continue side by side at their own level.”

SSP, Kapurthala, Rajpal Singh could not be contacted for his comments.

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