Lawyers, Gurdaspur police in tussle over action against SHO

The strike by Gurdaspur District Bar Association (DBA) entered its second day today even as the advocates and local police remained locked in a stalemate over the future of Dinanagar Station House Officer (SHO) Amritpal Singh.

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Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aditya has already shifted the SHO to Police Lines and has also simultaneously initiated a departmental inquiry against him. The lawyers, however, were not pleased with this action and demanded that the officer be suspended and an FIR registered against him.

A few days ago, the SHO, accompanied by several policemen, had arrested Pawan Kumar, a handicapped ex-Army man from the chamber of lawyer Dilbagh Singh Saini. The SHO had also allegedly used derogatory language against the lawyers following which the latter went on a strike.

A delegation of advocates, led by DBA president Raj Paul Singh, today again met the SSP. The police chief was firm on not suspending his officer. He was also disinclined to get an FIR registered against him.

A police source disclosed that the police chief will never agree to the demand of registering an FIR because “that would put his career at stake”.

Raj Paul Singh said the strike would continue tomorrow.

The lawyers also met the District and Sessions Judge Dilbagh Singh Johal.

There is a consensus emerging that whatever punishment the SSP had given was enough. However, a section of the advocates was not willing to buy this argument and said the officer should be suspended and a criminal case registered.

An disclosed source said that the strike may come to an end tomorrow after the Station House Officer himself appears in the DBA office and asks for forgiveness. “There is no chance that the Senior Superintendent of Police will retract from his position. That is for sure. Hence, the lawyers should find a middle ground. The Station House Officer’s presence in the district courts tomorrow and his apology will be enough to end the strike. After all, it is not only the lawyers’ fraternity which is suffering, the litigants too are being made to suffer,” said an officer.