Sidhu aide among 50 booked for flouting ‘police order’
AMRITSAR: Nearly 50 people, including Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s close aide and local councillor, Shailinder Singh Shelly, have been booked for flouting police order during a protest against the custodial death of a local Congress leader in Amritsar on Sunday.
Shelly, councillor of ward 46 that falls in the constituency that Sidhu represents in the assembly, had led the protest outside the B-division police station and blocked traffic at Sultanwind roundabout on Monday a day after Bittu Shah (35), president of the Congress’ scheduled cast (SC) wing from ward 63, died in custody. Bittu was picked for questioning from his Guru Ram Das Nagar residence barely an hour before his death which the protesters claimed was due to thirddegree torture police gave him.
The protesters were demanding a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code against head constable Avtar Singh and constable Navjot Singh posted at the Gate Hakima police station for allegedly torturing Bittu to death.
The eight-hour long protest was lifted on Monday evening after deputy commissioner of police (DCP-investigation) told the protesters that a case under Sections 304 (culpable homicide)
THE COUNCILLOR, WHO REPRESENTS A WARD IN SIDHU’S CONSTITUENCY, LED THE PROTEST OUTSIDE POLICE STATION AND BLOCKED TRAFFIC AT A ROUNDABOUT
and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of IPC was registered against the two cops.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-city 1) Jagjit Singh Walia said, “A case under Section 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) has been registered against Shelly among 50 people.”
Shelly said, “It was our protest that forced the police to act against two cops. We protested outside the police station peacefully. Registration of case us is undemocratic.”