FIR on SAD-Cong clash contradicts facts

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 12

The Ludhiana police seemingly committed a blunder while allegedly tampering with the facts in the FIR registered in the clash between workers of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) and the Congress on the night of October 10. The police allegedly recreated its own story in the FIR registered at the Moti Nagar police station.

A copy of the FIR (with The Tribune) mentions that YAD leader Tarsem Bhinder (Malwa Zone-3) was allegedly thrown near Pavilion Mall by the Congress workers. However, the fact is Bhinder was taken to the residence of Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh where he was reportedly handed over to Aulakh in the presence of several workers of the Akalis and the Congress, and police officers.

Ishwarjot Cheema, Chairman of Economic and Political Planning Cell, PPCC, told The Tribune that the police distorted the facts in the FIR just to make the case strong against the Congress workers. “In fact, the Congress workers rescued Bhinder from the spot and was safely taken to the residence of Police Commissioner where he was handed over to the latter. However, in the FIR, the police created its own story and removed the facts of the case,” Cheema added.

In the FIR, the statement of Bhinder reads: “I, along with my friends Sukhdev and Baljinder Singh Khalsa, was kidnapped by the Congress workers in a white Innova. We were brutally beaten in the car and our turbans were also tossed. After driving around in the city, we were thrown out of the vehicle near Pavilion Mall by the Congress workers, from where we were taken to the hospital by the YAD workers”.

YAD leader’s statement to media

On Tuesday, YAD Ludhiana (Urban-1) chief Gurpreet Singh Babbal had informed the media that they were told that the Congress was planning to burn the effigies of the CM and the Deputy CM on Dasehra. “Our boys called up another YAD leader Tarsem Bhinder (Malwa Zone-3) and we spoke to the SP. We decided to visit the Dasehra venue where Bhinder was manhandled. He (Bhinder) was kidnapped by the Congress activists and taken to the Police Commissioner’s residence,” he said. 

Police officers evade queries 

When ACP Sourabh Jindal was asked why the FIR mentioned that YAD leader Bhinder was dumped near Pavilion Mall when he was actually handed over to the Police Commissioner at his residence, the ACP evaded the query, saying that he was not  there and please, talk to the SHO concerned. When contacted, Moti Nagar SHO said he was not present at the Police Commissioner’s residence on that night but the FIR was registered on a statement of Bhinder.

Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh did not reply to repeated phone calls made by this correspondent