Two MP cops drag Sikh man by hair, suspended

BHOPAL : Two police personnel, including an ASI, were suspended in Barwani district, 313 kilometres south west of Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, on Friday evening after a 50-second video clip went viral on social media, in which a Sikh is being pushed around and dragged by his hair by a police man.

The incident that occurred, at Palsud town, on Thursday sparked nationwide outrage among Sikhs, as reflected in social media, and drove the Opposition Congress in the state to demand stern action against police personnel responsible. The victim has been identified as Prem Singh, of Palsud, and the entire matter escalated over checking of vehicles.

Police authorities, however, denied the charges of excesses and claimed that the man is facing three criminal charges and his turban fell off during the argument. Prem Singh, however, alleged that when he couldn’t show the papers of vehicles to the police personnel they demanded Rs 250 as fine. When he told them that he had earned only Rs 200 in the day and could not pay the fine, he was beaten up. A release from Barwani district police said, “SP Nimish Agrawal has suspended

ASI Seetaram Bhatngar and head constable Mohan Jamre for not initiating action as per the laiddown procedure.”

State Congress president Kamal Nath said, “Prem Singh, who is a granthi, was beaten up in an inhuman manner. Such atrocities are an insult to the Sikh religion as well and can’t be tolerated. The government must take strict action against the guilty.”

Union minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal tweeted, “Beastly attack on Giani Prem Singh granthi and other Sikhs in MP is an outrage against humanity. Utterly reprehensible and unacceptable. Sikhs all over the world are deeply shocked. I urge CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to take immediate and exemplary action against all those guilty of this brutality.”

Other Sikh community leaders, including SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal; Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the incident. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, “Such a brutality with Sikhs will not be tolerated in any way. The matter will be inquired into by the DIG police, Indore, and strict action will be taken.”