Police 'brutality': Court directs Muktsar SHO to register case against SP, CIA in-charge, others

Tribune News Service

Archit Watts

Muktsar, September 23

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Muktsar, has directed the SHO of Muktsar Sadar police station to register an FIR against SP (Investigation) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, DSP (Investigation) Sanjeev Goyal, CIA in-charge Inspector Raman Kumar, two senior constables, one constable, one home guard and four to five unknown police personnel for allegedly causing injuries to an advocate, wrongfully confining him, threat to his life and liberty and abetment of unnatural sex.

An advocate and a resident of Sohnewala village here had been arrested after CIA in-charge Inspector Raman had lodged a complaint at the Muktsar City police station, alleging that the duo had assaulted a police team, tore their uniforms and deterred them from discharging public duty on the Tibbi Sahib road here on September 14 night.

Bar council in touch

The president of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association and chairman of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana are in contact with me over the issue. We will decide our future course of action if a case is not registered against the police team. —Bhupinder Singh Charewan, President, District bar association, Muktsar

Will file review petition

We are planning to file a review petition in the case in the Sessions Court. —Senior police officer

Concocted tale

Two persons were arrested on various charges and one of them later concocted a false story. There was no injury shown in the first medical report of the advocate. —Raman Kumar, CIA in-charge, Muktsar

They were produced before a court on September 15, which sent them to judicial custody. On the next day, the advocate requested for a medical re-examination, alleging inhuman treatment at the CIA complex.

The counsel of the advocate submitted that the latter’s medical re-examination report showed 18 injuries on his body. The advocate appeared before court on September 21 and gave a statement. The counsel claimed that the advocate withdrew his bail application due to fear.

The court issued the following order on Friday: “The statement of the victim is treated as complaint as per Section 2 (D) of the Criminal Procedure Code, in which prima facie cognisable offences of abetment of unnatural sex and causing injuries in wrongful confinement, causing threat to his life and liberty, shown. From the perusal of his statement, there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against the police officials/officer named by him. The SHO concerned is directed to initiate investigation against the police officials after registering a case against them.”

The court also ordered that the original statement and medical report of the victim be kept intact in an envelope.

Muktsar DSP (Investigation) Sanjeev Goyal said: “I was on leave the day mentioned by the complainant in his statement. However, when the medical re-examination was done, I was deputed there so that nothing untoward happened.”

Repeated attempts to contact SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill and SP (Investigation) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar proved futile. Muktsar Sadar SHO Inspector Malkeet Singh said, “I am unaware if the court’s orders have reached the police station as I was unwell today.”

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