MP Bittu asks police to beef up security on city outskirts

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 14

Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu today asked the Police Department to increase security on the outskirts of the city, including the road from South City to Issewal village where the gang-rape incident took place on Saturday night.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of DIG of Ludhiana Ranbir Singh Khattra, Bittu also admitted that lapses in security on South City Issewal Road led to the shocking incident. He said the department had been asked to increase vigil in the area to prevent such kind of incidents in the future. The MP said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had stated that the trial of gang-rape case would be held in a fast-track court to provide speedy justice to the victim.

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu was also present at the press conference.

Khattra said joint teams of Ludhiana police and Ludhiana (rural) police would keep a vigil in the area to check such incidents in future.

Bittu skipped questions about the lack of development in Issewal village which was adopted by him as Member of Parliament. The villagers have alleged that no development work has been carried out in the village.

SAD objects to Bittu’s press conference

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has raised questions over the press conference organised by Bittu. Senior SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal said Bittu had been trying to take political mileage out of a sensitive issue which was very unfortunate. “It is direct interference in the functioning of Police Department when the case is at an initial stage. It was also inappropriate for the police officials to be a party to a press conference called by a politician and that too when they knew that the DGP is also going to hold a press conference on the same issue in the afternoon,” said Grewal.