Warring’s close aide among 17 booked for assaulting journalist

SHIVRAH, WHO WORKS FOR A VERNACULAR, SAID JASPREET HAD CALLED HIM ON FRIDAY, ASKING HIM NOT TO PUBLISH A REPORT AND THREATENED TO BREAK HIS LEGS AND ARMS IF HE DID SO

: Muktsar police have booked president of Gidderbaha truck union Charanjit Singh Dhillon, along with Jaspreet Singh, who is a close aide of Congress’ Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, for allegedly assaulting the journalist of a vernacular newspaper on Saturday.

On a complaint of victim Shivraj Singh Raju, police booked Jaspreet Singh, Charanjit and 15 unidentified people for wrongful confinement, assault and other charges. Raju alleged that Charanjit, along with 15 others, attacked him at his office in Giddernbaha town on Saturday afternoon. He said Charanjit was not happy with a news report regarding his family dispute.

The accused allegedly took Raju at gunpoint, beat him up, made him drink urine-laced liquor, do sits up and rub nose on the ground. The accused made a video of all this, the complaint said. Raju alleged that Jaspreet also called him on Friday night, asking him not to publish the report and threatened to break his legs and arms if he did so. Warring couldn’t be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Journalists have demanded arrest of all the accused involved in the attack.

BJP’s Abohar MLA Arun Narang in a press conference here on Sunday said Congress government should ensure arrest of all the accused and stop reign of the unruly party workers across the state. He said if accused are not arrested, BJP will launch protests across the state. letterschd@hindustantimes.com