3 ‘tipsy’ cops assault scribe at police station, suspended

SANGRUR: On International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Garg has suspended three policemen for allegedly drinking at the city police station-1 and assaulting a photographer of a vernacular daily.

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, June 26

On International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Garg has suspended three policemen for allegedly drinking at the city police station-1 and assaulting a photographer of a vernacular daily.

The photojournalist had gone to the police station on Tuesday night to seek help for the mother of a drug addict after the latter tried to attack her.

Complainant Sanjeev Verma said when he was walking near his residence in Ajit Nagar, an elderly woman came to him and sought his help as her addicted son was chasing her to beat her after she refused to give him money for drugs. Verma took the woman to the Sangrur city police station-1 but when they reached there, the police station’s gate was locked from inside. Verma got opened the gate but the policemen got infuriated and asked him that why he had come there so late?

“When I requested them to protect the woman, three drunk policemen, including ASI Janpal Singh, Head Constable Jagtar Singh and Constable Manikaran attacked me. They dragged me from my hair, took me to a corner and thrashed me. Anyhow, I called my family but when they reached the police station, the policemen locked me in a room and told my family I was not there,” Verma alleged.

When Verma heard the voice of his family members, he raised an alarm from the room after which his family rescued him. Verma lodged a complaint with the SSP on Wednesday, who directed DSP Satpal Sharma to hold an inquiry.

SSP Garg said he had suspended all three policemen.

“Legal action will also be taken as drinking during duty hours and misbehaviour by any policemen with a citizen cannot be tolerated at any cost,” the SSP said.

Sequence of events

On Tuesday night, a woman refused to give money to his son to buy drugs. Angry, he charged towards her
To save herself, she ran out of the house and sought the help of a man, photojournalist Sanjeev Verma, to save her from her son
He took the woman to the police station and requested cops to protect the woman
Instead, the cops got infuriated and asked him why he had come so late
They dragged Verma from his hair and thrashed him