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Kangana slap row: 3-member SIT formed to probe the incident
The special investigation team has been formed under Harbir Singh Atwal, superintendent of police (city) and includes a lady cop to probe Kangana case.
Mohali police on Sunday formed a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident in which BJP MP from Mandi Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a CISF woman constable, a senior police officer said.
The CISF, tasked with providing security at the airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.
The three-member SIT has been formed under Harbir Singh Atwal, superintendent of police (city) and includes a lady cop to probe the case after the protesters demanded a fair probe and cancellation of the FIR against woman constable Kulwinder Kaur.
Mohali police on Friday had booked Kaur for allegedly slapping and abusing the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party MP. The constable was immediately suspended after the incident. Kaur’s husband, who is also with CISF posted in Jammu. The couple have two children.
The police registered a case under Sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (Whoever wrongfully restrains any person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Kaur following the complaint of CISF. Both are bailable sections.
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SP Atwal said there is no specific time period given for submitting the report but the probe will be concluded at the earliest.
“After listening to the farmers’ demands, a SIT has been formed under my leadership. After conducting a fair probe into the incident, we will submit the report to Mohali SSP at the earliest. A woman police officer will also be part of the SIT,” Atwal said.
Mohali SSP Sandeep Kumar Garg said that appropriate action would be taken in the case based on the probe carried out by the SIT.
The incident happened on Thursday at the Chandigarh airport when Ranaut was on her way to Delhi. Kaur was apparently upset with Ranaut’s statements over the farmers’ protests.
Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by the constable during a security check.
In a video statement titled “Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab” posted on X, Ranaut said she was safe and fine.
“She hit me in the face and started abusing me. I asked her why she did it and she said she supports the farmer protests. I am safe but my concern is that terrorism and extremism are increasing in Punjab... How do we handle that?” Ranaut had said.
Another video doing the rounds on social media showed the agitated constable talking to people presumably after the incident in which she decried Kangana’s statements regarding farmers’ protests.
Meanwhile, several farmer outfits, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, took out a march in Mohali in support of the CISF woman constable and demanded a fair probe.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha president Sarwan Singh Pandher besides other farmer leaders submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Mohali SSP Sandeep Kumar Garg. “We have sought a fair and independent probe and have requested SSP to not succumb to any political pressure. Moreover, we also want an FIR against Ranaut for making provocative statements which can incite violence after the alleged slap incident,” Dallewal said.
