Home Guard who molested British student dismissed

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

The Punjab Home Guards has dismissed its guard Sukhwinder Singh, who has been accused of harassing a British tourist on board a train from Amritsar to Delhi. The guard has been dismissed on the directions of SK Sharma, DGP-cum-Commandant General, Home Guards.

The case was widely reported in the media today, highlighting not just the harassment faced by the British national but also the indifference of the state police in registering a case against Sukhwinder Singh, when the victim and her friends called top officers in Punjab to lodge a complaint.

The accused was posted in the company at Chehratta in Amritsar and has been discharged from duty, an official communiqué said.

The press release said the guard was arrested by the Railway Police, Punjab, after a British tourist accused him of sexually harassing her. He has been booked under Sections 354 (a) and (b) of the IPC

The case was referred to the Divisional Commandant, Punjab Home Guards, Jalandhar, and guard has been dismissed on the basis of the report submitted by the Investigating Officer.

The victim had lodged a complaint with the British High Commission in New Delhi after she reportedly failed to contact the Punjab police authorities even after repeated attempts. She had reportedly pasted the accused's photograph along with her complaint to the British High Commission. She alleged she failed to get any response from the DGP office.