Moga villagers storm police station alleging illegal detention, force release of woman accused in firing case

Hundreds of agitated villagers from Dhurkot Ransih and other villages on Monday night stormed the Nihal Singh Wala police station in Moga forcing the police to release Sarbjit Kaur who had been arrested in connection with a September 7 firing incident at Manuke Gill village.

The police action drew immediate backlash from the community, who alleged illegal detention and police atrocities. A major point of contention was the police station’s reported lack of a female lock-up (Mahila Hawalat), raising serious questions about the legality of women’s detention.

Under immense public pressure and after hours of raising slogans inside the station, the police ultimately yielded to the protesters’ demands and freed Sarbjit Kaur.

According to Moga SP (D) Balkrishan Singla, the investigation revealed that Sarbjit Kaur, her son Sukhdeep Singh, and three youths from Ludhiana had been nominated in the Manuke firing incident.

The police alleged that Sukhdeep Singh, an absconding accused in several other criminal cases, had hired the three Ludhiana youths as shooters.

The motive for the attack was a rivalry between Sukhdeep Singh and the resident who was targeted.

SP Singla stated that Sarbjit Kaur played a "pivotal role" in the firing incident, which justified her nomination as an accused in the case.