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Ludhiana: Dismissed DSP, aide booked for promoting enmity
The FIR came nearly a month after Sekhon and Sharma were sentenced to six months imprisonment by the HC on February 24 in a contempt of court case
The city police on Wednesday registered a fresh case against dismissed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Balwinder Singh Sekhon and his associate Pradeep Sharma for allegedly promoting enmity, spreading rumours and criminal intimidation after the duo used objectionable words against the Punjab and Haryana high court on February 20 at district courts in Ludhiana when they were arrested.
Wednesday’s FIR came nearly a month after Sekhon and Sharma were sentenced to six months imprisonment by the HC on February 24 in a contempt of court case.
They were arrested in Ludhiana on February 20 upon High court’s orders and produced in the district and sessions court which sent them to four days in judicial custody.
Addressing the media then at district courts Ludhiana, Sekhon and Sharma had given statements regarding alleged mistreatment towards them. The high court had taken note of the same and had sought an explanation from the police, as he was in their custody at that time.
A departmental inquiry had been initiated against SHO Sarabha Nagar. As per the state government’s submission to the HC, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), Ludhiana and ACP (West) Ludhiana have also been asked to explain why Sekhon and Sharma were “allowed” to give bites to the media outside the Ludhiana court complex on February 20.
Wednesday’s case was registered on a complaint by station house officer, Division no 5, Neeraj Chaudhary who stated in the complaint that the case has been registered upon verification of the charges against the accused.
He said that a case under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal code has been registered against the accused.
In the contempt of court case, Sekhon was accused of circulating ‘malicious’, ‘libelous’, and ‘derogatory’ videos on social media pertaining to judicial proceedings of the judges of the HC. The high court had said that it has come to its notice that Sekhon, a dismissed police official who had filed a writ petition in 2021 challenging the order of his dismissal from service dated May 28, 2021, has been circulating videos related to judicial proceedings being conducted by other judges.
Shady past
Sekhon made headlines in 2019 when he was chosen by the then local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to probe allegations of a real estate scam in Ludhiana against the then food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. Sekhon was then posted with the municipal corporation on deputation.
In that case, Ashu had accused Sekhon of abusing him in the government and on social media sites. Following this, Sekhon was suspended in 2019 and dismissed from service on the day he was to retire in 2021. In 2022, the dismissed officer held Sidhu responsible for not standing by him against Ashu.
