Two days on, no arrest in scribe assault case

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

Even after two days of a deadly attack on a journalist of a daily vernacular, the city police failed to nab any of the 15 local miscreants involved in the attack.

The victim, Ajit Singh Buland, who was on the way to his office, was attacked with sharp weapons on Friday.

He said he had been continuously getting threats from the miscreants and was being pressured by local political leaders to withdraw the case and strike a compromise in the matter. Besides, he said, he was neither contacted by the area SHO nor any higher police official regarding  the investigation. Only an FIR was registered and nobody was arrested till now.

The  incident took place on Friday night at Khingra gate near Adda Hoshiarpur, when the miscreants stopped his Innova vehicle and asked him to step out of it. They inflicted serious injuries on him after attacking with iron rods and knives. Ajit after gaining consciousness told the police that, they took his gold chain and a camera. However, he identified some of the attackers and said the suspects,  Mannu, Nannu, Paras and  Shivam Chauhan, alias Totta, were associated with drug dealers and had patronage  from a veteran Congress leader.

“For the past few days, I had been writing against drug mafias and illicit liquor dealers in the city. Hence, to take revenge, the miscreants attacked him,” he said.

ADCP, investigation, Parminder Singh Bhandal, said, the police team was searching the suspects involved  in the incident.

In addition, an FIR under Sections 295-A, 323, 341, 379-B, 148,149 and  the Arms Act 

was registered against them at Police Division No. 3. Eight cases, including loot, attempt to murder, were also registered against Mannu, Nannu, Paras and Totta.

The case

The  incident took place on Friday night at Khingra gate near Adda Hoshiarpur when the miscreants stopped his Innova vehicle and asked him to step out of it. They inflicted serious injuries on him after attacking with iron rods and knives. Ajit after gaining consciousness told the police that they took his gold chain and camera.