Four cops booked for ‘torturing’ cousins in police station in Sangrur

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 11

Two days after the suspension of all four cops allegedly involved in the torture of two Dalit cousins at Sandaur police station, police have registered a case against them for wrongful restraint.

The Punjab State Scheduled Castes (SC) Commission has also sought report on May 13.

Sandaur police have registered a case under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 166 (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) and 34 IPC against ASIs Sukhwinder Singh and Yadwinder Singh, constable Gurdeep Singh and Punjab Home Guard Kesar Singh. All were suspended two days back by the Sangrur SSP.

“We have registered the FIR against all four cops, who were suspended two days back for torture of Dalit youngsters. No one would be allowed to violate the law,” said Sandeep Garg, SSP.

In the evening of May 6, four persons allegedly stopped the car of Simranjit Singh and Lakhvir Singh near Manki village. The unidentified persons came in a Bolero and claimed that they were from Punjab police and asked the cousins to accompany them to the police station.

But when Simranjit asked them for their identity cards, they allegedly started beating him up and allegedly snatched Rs 20,000 from Lakhvir and fled. But when both reached Sandaur police station in the evening to lodge a snatching complaint, cops took the two youths inside and did not allow their relatives to enter the police station.

“Inside the police station, when I asked cops to register FIR of snatching they started torturing me, while Lakhvir faced their wrath for some time. Drunk cops poured petrol in my private parts, crushed my hands under their shoes, hit my feet with sticks and kept me naked for hours,” Simranjit Singh has alleged in the FIR.

Both were released on May 7 after their family members announced to start protest and were admitted in Malerkotla civil hospital. The medical examination has confirmed 13 blunt injuries on the various body parts of Simranjit.

“DSP (Special Branch) will conduct investigations of FIR while departmental inquiry against cops has been assigned to SP (Investigations). Investigation of snatching case, registered on the complaint of Simranjit, has been assigned to Crime Investigations Agency (CIA), ” said SSP Garg.

Punjab State Scheduled Castes (SC) Commission member Poonam Kangra said she would submit the report to commission chairman for further action.