REPORT XIII
INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO POLICE HIGHHANDEDNESS WITH AN ADVOCATE
COUPLE
CHANDIGARH
AUGUST 8, 2000
The image of Punjab police has suffered yet another blow and
have once again proved to be the most rowdy, indisciplined and
inhuman force in the country, if the incident of thrashing a Lawyer
couple of Chandigarh is any indication.
Victim, Lakhwinder Singh Sidhu and his wife Manpreet Kaur are
Chandigarh based, practising lawyers and members of Punjab &
Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.
On 5th August, 2000, Lakhwinder Singh and his wife Manpreet
Kaur were coming in their car No.PB-23B-2755 from Fatehgarh Sahib
towards Chandigarh in the evening. One Contessa Car with Red light
atop, belonging to some VIP followed by a Punjab Police escort
Gypsy bearing No.PB-12B-________ were also coming on the same
route. When the car of Mr.Singh reached the one way main road
near Sector 70 of Mohali in Distt.Ropar, at about 7. 55 P.M.,
the car of the VIP and the escort Gypsy slowed down. Mr. Lakhwinder
Singh, who was himself driving the car decided to overtake his
car from the right side of the escort Gypsy and sought side from
the driver of the Gypsy. On getting the side, he drove a bit fast
and his car splashed some drops of muddy water stagnanting in
a small pit in the road, on the Policemen sitting in the escort
Gypsy. Furiated over the spoiling of their uniform, the six Policemen
sitting in the escort Gypsy, overtook the car and stopped it near
the Light Point of Phase IX, Mohali and without any provocation
dragged the Lawyer from his car and manhandled him. They hurled
filthy abuses and one Policemen even gave a blow of the Butt of
his gun on the back of the lawyer. He even expressed apology for
the splashing of the water upon the Policemen by his car and said
that it was wholly unintentional as he did not see the pit on
the road. But all his pleadings did not convinced the rowdy Policemen
and they continued beating him for more than fifteen minutes.
Many passers by who had by that time come to the rescue of the
Lawyer and even his wife were not spared by the Policemen,who
appeared to be under the influence of liquor from what the victim
understood from their language. All this happened when the VIP
in the contessa car remained sitting inside and did not intervene
to stop the Police highandedness. The Lawyer suffered serious
bodily bruises and internal injuries,besides mental agony and
frustration for getting beaten without any fault.
Aggrieved at the unprovoked assault by the men in uniform, the
victim drove straight to a nearby Police Station, Phase VIII,
SAS Nagar,Mohali and made a written complaint to the S.H.O. on
5th August, 2000 at about 8.20 P.M. But instead of registering
the First Information Report, the Policemen at the Police Station
failed to take any action against the culprits, probably because
the accused belonged to their own force. Interestingly, few Policemen
at the Police Station offered to bring the culprits before him
within few minutes, if he is willing to compromise and not to
raise this issue, but when the lawyer refused to compromise with
the accused Policemen, he was told to go home and wait for some
days enabling the police to hold investigations and thereafter
some action would be taken.
Till date, no steps have been taken to even identify the accused
Policemen even though the number of the Police Escort Gypsy was
given to the Police and the occupants of the Gypsy could be easily
traced from the records of Additional Director–General of
Police(Security)Punjab under whose orders the security is provided
to every VIP in the State. Senior District Police authorities
when contacted expressed their ignorance about the incident and
said that they will look into it, if brought to their notice.
The victim Lawyer has written to the Chief Justice of Punjab &
Haryana, President of Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association,
Director-General of Punjab Police, Senior Superintendent of Police
Ropar seeking their intervention in getting the accused Policemen
brought to books.
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