Ajnala clash: Four days on, no FIR
Four days after hundreds of supporters of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and clashed with cops before storming into the Ajnala police station to secure release of a key aide of the hardliner, Punjab Police is yet to register any FIR in the case
Chandigarh: Four days after hundreds of supporters of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and clashed with cops before storming into the Ajnala police station to secure release of a key aide of the hardliner, Punjab Police is yet to register any FIR in the case.
Six cops, including former Indian Hockey captain and SP-rank officer Jugraj Singh, were badly injured when the police tried to stop Amritpal’s supporters from entering the police station.
A day after attack, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav had told mediapersons that action would be taken against culprits after recording the statement of the injured cops even as police released Amritpal’s aide Lovepreet Singh aka Toofan, from jail, telling a court that he was found not guilty in an abduction case.
As Amritpal, the 29-year-old leader of radical Sikh group ‘Waris Punjab De’, ended the day with a show of strength at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the weak police response stoked a political controversy and sparked concerns that the rule of law was eroding in the border state. The incident has brought a huge embarrassment for the AAP government and police force, with Opposition mounting a scathing attack alleging that ‘lawlessness is prevailing in the state.’ BJP leader and former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh said the Ajnala incident had serious security implications for the state and the country. “Particularly when Pakistan is there to encourage and exploit such a situation,” he said, questioning the competence of the state government in dealing with such a situation. The Centre should intervene if the AAP government is unable to maintain law and order in the state, he added.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann, on his part, said Khalistan supporters were getting funding from Pakistan and other countries.
The delay in action in the case will further dent the government and police image, said an official, pleading anonymity. Senior police officials said the decision regarding any action against the violators has to be taken at the level of political bosses keeping in view the sensitivity of the case.
Amritpal has already made it clear that if any case is registered, he would again hit the streets.
“The delay in action is part of the government strategy as it was assessing the extent of support of radicals to Amritpal. He has already faced huge backlash from the Sikh community for using Guru Granth Sahib as a shield to enter the police station,” said a senior police functionary. He said the government at the same time was also wary of the fact that no action against the violators would signal poor decision-making at the top level. It could further embolden the separatist elements, he added.
Punjab Police top brass is not ready to come on record on delay in registration of FIR in the matter. HT’s calls and texts to the Punjab DGP and Amritsar (rural) SSP Satinder Singh did not elicit any response.