SP among 3 cops held in police ‘brutality’ case, lawyers end stir

Archit Watts

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Muktsar, September 27

A few hours after the presidents of District Bar Association, Muktsar and the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association and the chairman of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav today in Chandigarh in connection with the alleged police brutality against an advocate in custody in Muktsar, the police arrested Muktsar SP (D) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar and suspended CIA in-charge Inspector Raman Kumar and senior constable Harbans Singh.

A four-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Ludhiana Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu has been formed to investigate the cases registered against the advocate and cops. Sidhu, however, said he had not yet received official orders to the effect.

The chairman of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana issued a press release saying that as three accused cops had been arrested and an SIT formed, the Council had taken a decision to withdraw the call of abstaining from work. All advocates of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are requested to resume work with immediate effect, the release said.

The CM had sought a few hours for action in this regard from the delegation of advocates.

Advocate Bhupinder Singh Charewan, president, District Bar Association, Muktsar, said: “We met the Chief Minister and the DGP at the CM’s residence today. The CM gave a patient hearing and assured us that our demands would be fulfilled. He also condemned the police action against the advocate.”

The advocate and a resident (an alleged drug peddler) of Sohnewala village here were arrested on September 14 for allegedly assaulting a police team. The duo was allegedly given inhuman treatment by some cops in their custody at the CIA complex in Muktsar on September 14-15.

The Muktsar Sadar police had on September 25 registered a case against Muktsar SP (Detective) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, CIA in-charge Inspector Raman Kumar and four CIA staff.

The next day, two cops, including CIA in-charge Raman Kumar and senior constable Harbans Singh were suspended and DSP (Headquarters) Muktsar Ravinder Singh told to initiate a departmental probe and submit report within a month.

Meanwhile, the members of District Bar Association today held a press conference here and claimed that some people with vested interests were speaking against the advocate fraternity. They warned such people to apologise within 24 hours or be ready to face legal action.

Bajwa seeks CBI inquiry

• Expressing concern over “growing police brutality under the 18-month regime of AAP”, LoP Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday sought a CBI inquiry in the Muktsar lawyer assault case
• “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, has failed terribly to keep a check on police cruelty in Punjab. Why doesn’t he arrest the accused police officials, including SP (D) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, and dismiss them,” Bajwa said.