Bail rejected, former Khanna SHO surrenders
LUDHIANA: Fifteen months after three men were stripped and then filmed at Khanna Sadar police station, the station house officer (SHO) at the time, inspector Baljinder Singh, surrendered before inspector general (IG, Ludhiana Zone) Naunihal Singh on Saturday. The Punjab and Haryana high court had rejected his bail application.
The police had been after him for the past two months, having booked him for assault, illegal detention, stripping three men and recording the video. The police had also added sections of the SC/ST Act and the Information and Technology (IT) Act against the inspector in the FIR lodged at City-1 police station of Khanna on July 5. He had been suspended from the force.
In the nine-second video, three persons were seen standing nude in front of the SHO, whose voice is audible but his face cannot be seen. After the video went viral, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta had directed inspector general of police (IGP), Ludhiana Range, to carry out a fact-finding inquiry into the matter on April 16 this year.
IG Naunihal is leading the special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the matter. On April 23, the phone that was used to record the video was traced. It belonged to constable Varun Kumur, the ‘chhota munshi’, at the Sadar police station. His statement was recorded and he was transferred to the Police Lines.
SP headquarters Tajinder Singh Sandhu, who is a member of the SIT, said the accused would be brought to Khanna for further investigation.