ASI among three cops dismissed
U-TURN Police retract their statement, say the Tarn Taran raiding team followed protocol
AMRITSAR : Chief minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered dismissal of three cops, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), and a home guard jawan, a day after a sub-inspector (SI) of Kacha Pacca police station in Tarn Taran district was thrashed by a mob in Amritsar’s Chogawan village during a raid.
The incident had occurred on Friday when a team led by SI Baldev Singh raided a house in the village to arrest two accused nominated in a heroin smuggling case. The cops were dismissed for being mute spectators when the SI was being beaten up.
ACTION ON PUNJAB POLICE CHIEF’S INQUIRY
Acting on the CM’s orders, Punjab Police chief Dinkar Gupta got an inquiry conducted by inspector general of police (IGP), border range, Surinderpal Singh Parmar, into the role of the raiding police party. Based on his report, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sawinder Singh, head constable (HC) Gurvinder Singh and constable Nishan Singh along with Punjab home guard Jawan Darshan Singh were discharged from service for inaction and dereliction of duty.
Inspector Jhirmal Singh, SHO Kacha Pakka, Tarn Taran district, was shifted to police lines as his explanation into the incident was found to be satisfactory, said Gupta.
Earlier, angered by the video doing rounds on social media, the chief minister said, “This act of cowardly behaviour is unacceptable in a uniformed force.” Sending a strong signal down the police force, he said such cowardice act was not acceptable under his regime.
The video of the incident that had gone viral showed that the people bolted the gate from inside when the police party entered the house and began thrashing the SI. His uniform was torn, turban tossed and his service revolver snatched.
However, the mob had accused that the cops demanded money from the family and threatened them of framing in false drugs case if their demand was not met.
SHO’S SUSPENSION REVOKED, SHIFTED TO POLICE LINES
Police also revoked suspension of Jhirmal Singh after finding that the team acted ‘as per the law’ while raiding the house at Chogawan village.
Inspector general of police (IGP), border range, Surinderpal Singh Parmar, said, “It has been verified that the police party had gone to raid the place after making an entry in the Roznamcha (daily diary register) and nothing wrong was done by them.
They were acting as per the law and had gone to arrest a nominated accused under the NDPS Act. Therefore, the suspension of the SHO has been revoked.”
However, Parmar, had earlier said the team had not taken permission for the raid. The IG had suspend the SHO and had said action would be taken against the SI Baldev Singh.
FIVE HELD FOR ASSAULT
Meanwhile, the rural police have arrested five of the 35 booked persons for attacking the police party. The arrested men have been identified as Gurjinder Singh of Bhullar, Shubh of Tapiala,
Dilbagh Singh, Sarmail Singh and Samsher Singh of Chogawan village.
The DGP said the police party had gone to the village to raid the house of Amandeep in a case registered under the NDPS Act. Amandeep and his brother gathered a group at their house and they attacked SI Baldev Singh.
The former Sarpanch of the village, Jatinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and about 25 others
were also a part of the mob, said the DGP.
Others accused in the NDPS case included Jugraj Singh, Harwinder singh and Sandeep Singh (already arrested).
Raids are being conducted to arrest other accused, and strong action under the law would be taken against the drug suppliers as well as those who attacked the police party on duty, said the DGP.