Awaiting orders, hundreds of cops camp in Patiala

Hours before the Supreme Court holds a hearing on the steps taken by the Punjab Government for shifting fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to a hospital, hundreds of policemen had been camping at the Patiala Police Lines for the past 24 hours.

The stalemate between farm unions and the state police, however, continues as Dallewal is adamant on continuing his fast and not taking medical help until the Centre fulfils farmers’ demands.

Sources in the police department confirmed that hundreds of cops were summoned to the Patiala Police Lines and asked to be “on alert” as the state government contemplated action against Dallewal.

“We are awaiting directions from the top brass and only thereafter an operation to shift Dallewal to a hospital can be initiated. However, now we are told that the chapter is closed for today as there can be major collateral damage in case the force is used late evening or during the night to round up the fasting leader, given the fact that hundreds of farmers continue to camp around him,” they said.

A senior police official told The Tribune that former ADGP Jaskaran Singh, Patiala Range DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu and a battery of officers met Dallewal again on Monday afternoon and despite spending over two hours with him, the meeting remained inconclusive. “He (Dallewal) wants to continue with his fast. We have been asked to remain on the alert in case any late evening operation is planned,” he said.

On Saturday, the Supreme Court had warned Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director-General of Police Gaurav Yadav that it would frame contempt of court charges against them if its order on shifting Dallewal to a hospital was not complied with.

Expressing serious concern over Dallewal’s health, the Bench had reiterated its order on shifting the fasting leaser to a hospital and posted the matter for further hearing on December 31.

“Why shouldn’t there be charges against the Chief Secretary and the DGP? Why should charges be not framed? This is the logical flow of a contempt matter,” a Vacation Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia told the two senior officers who were virtually present during the hearing.