STRESS KILLED SSP, SAYS CAPT; SAMPLA CALLS IT AN INSULT

CHANDIGARH: Before Ferozepur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manminder Singh (47) could be laid to rest on Saturday here, politics came alive over what had led to his death.

Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh said “a high level of stress that cops have to face is responsible for the untimely death of an outstanding police officer,” reacting to which Union minister and Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla said the comment was “an insult to the brave Punjabis”.

There should be no politics over the death of a brave officer even before his family had time to grieve, said Sampla. He said Amarinder, a former army officer, had written many books on military history “but I wish he reads a little bit on what it takes to be a police officer as well”. “Punjab Police officers faced the bullets of terrorists but never succumbed to pressure,” he said. “Amarinder should apologise for hurting the officer’s family and the pride of Punjabis.”

On July 15 at Malout, Amarinder had said that if the Congress came to power in Punjab, police would have a maximum 12 hours of duty and a mandatory weekly off. He had said that the Punjab Police were overstretched and understaffed, and engaged mostly in futile, daylong VIP duty. The Ferozepur SSP died after a hectic day of combating a protest.