Muktsar advocate's 'torture': SP among 3 cops released from custody

Tribune News Service

Archit Watts

Muktsar, October 7

Three arrested police officers, including an SP and an Inspector, were released from police custody today after a local court accepted the application filed by the police in this regard.

They were arrested on September 27 and since then they had been in the custody.

They had been arrested after an advocate had alleged that he was tortured and forced into unnatural sex with a co-accused in the custody on September 14-15. However, in his self-declaration before an SIT on Friday, he had stated that no such incident had ever taken place.

Controversy erupted on Sept 13

• On September 13, Sohnewala villagers gave a complaint to the SSP against an alleged drug peddler
• On September 14, the accused and an advocate were arrested for allegedly assaulting a police team
• The next day, the advocate was produced in a court and informed his colleagues about the alleged inhuman treatment given to him in police custody
• The Bar Associations had observed a strike for two days
• SP among three cops were arrested on September 27
• Faridkot DIG Ajay Maluja and Muktsar SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill were also transferred on September 28
• The same day, the advocate was released from the jail

His co-accused also gave an application to the SSP, Muktsar, on September 30 that no such incident ever took place and the advocate had levelled false allegations against the officers.

As per the report of a medical board, the injuries on the body of the advocate were the result of a friendly fight.

Just two days ago, the advocate had given a letter to the District Bar Association, stating that now he had no grudge with the accused police personnel. Besides, in the letter, he had appreciated the working of former Muktsar SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill.

Advocate Sanjiv Kochhar, District Attorney, Muktsar, said SIT had filed an application before the court, saying that there was no evidence against the accused, thus they should be discharged from the police custody and the court accepted it.

Bhagirath Singh Meena, SSP, Muktsar, said, “I can comment only after getting the court’s order.”

Meanwhile, police sources said now they would apply for the cancellation of the FIR registered against six cops — Muktsar SP (Investigation) Ramandeep Singh Bhullar, CIA in-charge Inspector Raman Kumar, two senior constables Harbans Singh and Bhupinder Singh, one constable Gurpreet Singh and one home guard Dara Singh — under Sections 377, 323, 342, 506 and 149 of the IPC at Muktsar Sadar police station.

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