Family worried as no info on youth held for Singhu violence

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 30

“Mere putt nu ghar bhej den, meri ehi hath jor ke benti hai,” Sarabjit Kaur weeps uncontrollably as she remembers the last glimpses she caught of her 22-year-old son.

With his mother eager to hold an akhand path at the village gurdwara, Ranjit Singh had asked her to wait until he returned from the Singhu morcha. However, the images on the social media of police assault on the 22-year-old left the family in shock.

Ranjit is among the youths accused of attacking the police during the Singhu border violence. His family vehemently denies the charge. “He is a very good natured boy. He can’t beat anyone. I just request the government to send my son back,” says Sarabjit Kaur.

Cops not responding

Ranjit didn’t beat up anyone. We called the police last night but no one responded. Today some youths went to the local police station but they said he would be produced in court. We haven’t seen him yet. —Jasbir Singh Piddi, KMSC vice-president

Hailing from Kajampur village in Nawanshahr, Ranjit’s video grabs of being beaten with lathis and picked up — seemingly unconscious — went viral on internet. Ranjit’s family still hasn’t heard from the Delhi police. Since yesterday, frantic calls have been made to the police and some members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who also checked with the local police – but there is no information about Ranjit’s whereabouts.

Satnam Singh, a resident of Jalwaha village in Nawanshahr and neighbour of Ranjit’s family, says, “Hooligans have beaten up Ranjit because he stood in the way of the ladies’ tents they were going to uproot. These people weren’t locals. He is a very religious, Amritdhari Gursikh who does path twice a day in the local gurdwara. False charges have been slapped on him for no fault of his. He wielded his sword which is part of his Gursikh attire but he did not injure or attack anyone.”

Jasbir Singh Piddi, vice-president, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said: “Ranjit didn’t beat up anyone. We called police last night but no one picked. Today some youths went to the local police station but they said he would be produced in court. We haven’t seen him yet.”