Days after Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij's raid, elderly ‘beaten up’ at Panchkula's Raipur Rani police station

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Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 21

Raipur Rani SHO Yashdeep Singh and ASI Devi Dayal have been sent to the Police Lines for allegedly beating up a 70-year-old Dalit man from Hangola village.

He was called to the police station yesterday for questioning over a land dispute between two parties.

Question mark over police working

The incident has put another question mark over the functioning of the local police who are already under fire from critics for several reasons such as deteriorating law and order situation, inaction and negligent attitude by its officers, flourishing hookah bars and illegal mining. The surprise inspection conducted by Home Minister Anil Vij recently at the Sector 5 police station had put the spotlight on the working of police officials in dealing with complaints.

Commissioner of Police Saurabh Singh has also ordered an inquiry into the matter. ACP (Headquarters) Vijay Kumar Nehra will lead the probe.

Gurnam Singh, a retired head teacher, has alleged that they had sought the police’s intervention in a matter pertaining to illegal occupation of shamlat land (village common land) but the police, rather than addressing their grievance, beat him up.

‘’We had filed a complaint to the SHO, Raipur Rani police station, over the matter, asking the police to stop those trying to occupy the shamlat land. As per a police notice, we went to the police station where the other party was already present. ASI Devi Dayal didn’t listen to me and those accompanying me but hit me on the head with a wooden stick.’’

Hours after the incident, members of the Bhim Army gathered outside the police and raised slogans against the Panchkula police and the SHO. Nehra said: ‘’As of now, prima facie, we have transferred both police officials to the Police Lines. A detailed inquiry is pending. The matter will be thoroughly investigated.’’

When asked about the matter, Nehra said: ‘’The matter pertains to a dispute between two parties over 170-180 acres of shamlat land in Hangola village in Raipur Rani block. While one party claims the land belongs to them, the other says they are illegal occupants.”

Saurabh Singh said: ‘’Because of the complexity of the matter, both the SDM and the Tehsildar of the area inspected the disputed land on Saturday. An open meeting with both parties in the upcoming week will take place in the presence of officials concerned to resolve the matter at the earliest.’’

Meanwhile, Inspector Yashdeep Singh termed allegations levelled against him as ‘’false’’.

“When both parties started fighting inside the police station itself, a police official tried to intervene which led to Gurnam falling on his head and hitting the edge of a bench placed right behind him,’’ he said.