HC orders time-bound probe into ‘stripping’ of three men at Khanna police station

PETITION OF THREE PERSONS, INCLUDING A FATHER-SON DUO, WHO WERE ALLEGEDLY STRIPPED NAKED AND A VIDEO OF THE ACT WAS SHOT

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday directed Punjab director general of police (DGP) to conduct a timebound probe -- by a special investigation team (SIT), if required -into the allegations regarding stripping of three men at the Khanna police station in Ludhiana last year.

“The facts, as mentioned in the petition along with the documents, should make us hang our head in shame that we are living in a society allowing such things to happen by an official of the police department, ... at the behest of an influential person ... for their own motives,” the bench of justice Nirmaljit Kaur observed.

The report of the investigating agency along with action taken report be placed before the court on the next date of hearing, the bench added, posting the matter for July 8.

The high court acted on the petition of three persons, including a father-son duo, who were allegedly stripped naked and a video of the act was shot.

They had demanded that an FIR be registered against the erring police official for unlawful confinement, recording naked videos and further circulating it. They had also demanded that steps be taken to ensure their safety.

The complainants belong to Khanna and come from scheduled caste (SC) families.

The DGP had already ordered a probe into the matter in April. However, complainants’ counsel DS Sobti had told the court that in spite of the DGP ordering a probe. nothing has happened so far.

The video was shot in June 2019, when petitioners were picked up by the police allegedly at the behest of a local Congress leader. The allegations regarding stripping are against the then Khanna Sadar SHO, Baljinder Singh.