Fearing police brutality, village youth flee homes
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Batala, May 21
Six days after villagers tied an ASI to a pole after beating him, scores of youngsters of Gokhuwal and Taragarh villages have virtually abandoned their homes to escape the wrath of the police.
ASI Nirjit Singh was beaten up on May 15 by an incensed mob following which the cops raided the villages to nab the accused.
The villagers had manhandled the Singh after he was accused of facilitating the escape of a tractor driver who had crushed a 17- year -old youth to death.
On May 16 the SSP had absolved the ASI of any misconduct after which the cops started rounding up the villagers. Nine people were arrested and were booked under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder).
Officers investigating the case came across a video of the incident and making it a basis of their inquiry they started nabbing more people, particularly the youth.
Sources reveal that for the past six days police parties have been raiding the villages almost every night.
A fear psychosis has gripped the residents and scores of youth are fleeing their homes at night to evade arrest. The youngsters visit their homes on the sly during the day only.
SSP Daljinder Singh Dhillon claim that the cops have not conducted any raid since May 16.
However, villagers have a different story to tell.
Kashmir Kaur (50), disclosed that a few days ago nearly a dozen policemen in civvies barged into her house at 4 am after scaling the wall of her house and started assaulting her family members.
“They beat up my husband Lakhwinder Singh. When I tried to save him, I was hit on the head and suffered a head injury that required seven stitches,” she said.
Ajit Singh (70), who got his foot fractured, narrated a similar tale.
Yesterday, some youths who were going towards the fields spotted a police party ran away only to spend the night hiding behind a big pile of fodder.
Congress MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa police was acting out of sheer revenge. He threatened to stage a dharna if the police did not stop the raids.
