Four cops suspended for detaining Ludhiana man

JALANDHAR :Four cops, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were on Saturday suspended by the Jalandhar Rural Police for illegally detaining and beating up a Ludhiana resident in police custody on September 26.

The accused have been identified as ASI Darshan Lal, head constable Bagicha Singh and two constables Sarabjeet Singh and Sukhdev Singh of Mehatpur police station in Jalandhar.

A case was registered against them following an inquiry conducted by superintendent of police, Ludhiana, on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court on December 5.

The Ludhiana police had recommended the Jalandhar rural police to register a case against the four cops.

The victim, one Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Madhepura village in Ludhiana, said that he and his friend Manjeet Singh had filed a complaint alleging illegal sans mining near the Satluj river with the Mehatpur police and also via ‘100’ helpline number on September 26.

ASI Darshan Lal called up Gurmeet Singh, allegedly identifying himself as mining officer Pawan Kumar, and asked the victim to come to the mining spot at Ghunsuwal village in Mehatpur.

The inquiry report revealed that Pawan had not called the victim that day. The ASI, along with three other cops, took the victim from the site, detained and beat him up at the Mehatpur police station, claiming that Gurmeet had used abusive language against the cops.

“The cops, however, did not register any case of misbehaviour against Gurmeet Singh and failed to prove it during the inquiry. Injury marks on his back and other parts of the body were reported in the medical report by the civil hospital,” Mehatpur station house officer (SHO) Kewal Singh said.

A case under Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the cops by the Mehatpur police.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said, “All the four cops who were suspended will be arrested soon.”

He said that he has directed Shahkot deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Dilbagh Singh to inquire into the mining complaint and report the entire case to him.

THE ACCUSED COPS DETAINED AND BEAT UP GURMEET AT MEHATPUR POLICE STATION, CLAIMING HE HAD USED ABUSIVE LANGUAGE AGAINST THEM