Stopped for challan, Lt Col punches policeman, held

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 28

The UT police today arrested a serving Lieutenant Colonel, posted on deputation with the elite National Security Guard (NSG), for assaulting a head constable in full public view at the airport light point this afternoon. The head constable had stopped the officer’s vehicle for not using the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) on his Chevrolet Cruze car when he was slapped and punched in the face.

The police arrested Lt Col Vikramjit Singh Pandher (47) in a case under Sections 332, 353 and 186 (assault to deter a public servant from performing duty, voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions) of the IPC. He will be produced in court tomorrow.

A case has been registered at the Sector 31 police station.

The incident occurred in the afternoon when Head Constable Narvir Singh stopped the officer’s Chevrolet Cruze car (CH01 AD 9849) as it was not having the HSRP. Heated arguments ensued between the officer and the head constable as the officer refused to part with his documents for issuance of a challan and the head constable kept asking him for the same. In a fit of rage, the officer then tore off the challan book belonging to the head constable, grabbed his collar and slapped him on the face. He then punched him in the eye, face and chest.

After a huge crowd gathered and high drama prevailed, Narvir’s colleague called senior police officers following which a PCR vehicle and the ASP (South)  reached the spot to take stock of the situation.

The accused was then arrested. Lt Col Vikramjit Singh Pandher is posted in the NSG campus, Manesar. He was on the way to a court in Chandigarh for some official work when the incident occurred.