Elderly Dalit man retracts statement

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 22

In a turn of events, an elderly Dalit man from Hangola village, who accused former Raipur Rani SHO Inspector Yashdeep Singh and ASI Devi Dayal of beating him up, has retracted his allegations in his official statement to the police.

2 cops were shifted

The Hangola resident had accused former Raipur Rani SHO Inspector Yashdeep Singh and ASI Devi Dayal of beating him up. The two police officials were shifted to the Police Lines as a fallout of his earlier claims.

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The two police officials were shifted to the Police Lines as a fallout of his earlier claims.

Gurnam Singh (76), a retired head teacher, had alleged that a group of villagers had sought police 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 at the police station.

The matter pertains to a dispute between two parties over 170-180 acres of shamlat land at Hangola village in Raipur Rani block. While one party claims the land belongs to them, the other says they are illegal occupants.

Gurnam, in his written statement, said, “It was Kashmir Singh of the opposite party who made casteist remarks, intimidated me and started fighting on the police station premises. When the police intervened, I tried to move away but stumbled upon a chair that hit my head, leaving me injured.”

ACP (Headquarters) Vijay Kumar Nehra, who is leading the probe, confirmed the development. ”A detailed inquiry is underway. We will investigate every aspect of the incident to bring out the reality,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police have filed an FIR against Kashmir Singh on a complaint of Gurnam’s fellow villager Anil Kumar who, along with others, accompanied him to the police station. The FIR has been filed under Section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act at the Raipur Rani police station.