Faridkot police reject charge of ‘illegally’ detaining woman, son

The Faridkot police on Saturday rejected allegations of illegally detaining a woman and her son in a case involving an attack on a grocery store owner here.

The police also produced before the media two persons arrested in the case.

Jagdev Singh, a resident of Golewala village in Faridkot, had earlier alleged that the police unlawfully detaining his son Balraj Singh and wife Naseeb Kaur on the evening of January 15.

He had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to the police to produce them, alleging that the cops refused to disclose to him their whereabouts.

Faridkot Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tarlochan Singh had denied the allegations, saying while two youths have been arrested in the case, Balraj Singh had only been nominated as an accused and yet to be arrested.

Hearing the habeas corpus petition in this regard, the court had on Friday directed the police to file its response by today.

Speaking to the media, Faridkot SSP Pragya Jain confirmed the arrest of Harman Singh and Gurwinder Singh in the case.

The SSP denied allegations of detaining Balraj Singh or any of his family members.

The Faridkot police had earlier termed the allegations as a pre-emptive attempt by the family to forestall police action in the case.

An outrage had swept through the traders in Faridkot on January 15 after four youths, with their faces covered, attacked grocery shopkeepers in the town’s main market.

In response, the shopkeepers in the area had pulled down their shutters in protest, demanding immediate action.