Patti: Relatives protest with body of transformer oil theft accused

Tarn Taran, January 9

A piquant situation arose in front of the office of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Patti, on Tuesday when the kin along with local residents demonstrated with the body of Harbhal Singh Lali (29) of Sarali Mandan, seeking action against the accused that had beaten him up severely a few weeks back.

Following an assurance given by Inspector Kanwaljit Rai, SHO Patti city, of action against the alleged guilty after the post-mortem report is received by the police, the protesters were mollified. Harpreet Singh, brother of the deceased, told reporters at the Patti DSP office that his deceased brother Harbhal Singh was severely beaten up by some residents of Sarali Mandan on November 29 on the suspicion of theft of transformer oil.

After beating up his brother, they handed him over to the Kairon police post. The police registered a case of theft against Lali and he was sent to sub-jail, Patti, by the court. From Patti sub-jail, Harbhal Singh was admitted to the Civil Hospital there and was subsequently referred to the district level Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran. From there, he was referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, where he died on January 7.

The family has been demanding action against those who beat him up. SHO Kanwaljit Rai assured the family that further proceedings would be followed after the post-mortem report is received by the police. The family was pacified following the assurance and the body cremated in the village on Tuesday.

A similar incident was witnessed on January 7 in front of the office of DSP Patti when the family of a woman Sunita Rani who was four months pregnant, demonstrated with the body seeking action against the accused. She was shot dead by a group of seven armed persons.