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Mohali cop who fired at man during scuffle booked after suspension
Punjab Police initiates departmental action against three other personnel at the spot for not intervening and controlling the stiuation
A day after Punjab Police sub-inspector (SI) Balwinder Singh was placed under suspension for shooting at a man after a scuffle with him in Dera Bassi town of Mohali district, he has been booked for opening fire and insulting a woman’s modesty.
The first information report (FIR) against Mubarikpur police post in-charge SI Balwinder Singh was registered at Dera Bassi police station on Tuesday under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 354 (using criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage her modesty), 336 (negligence as to endanger human life) and 509 (intending to insult the modesty of any woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni said, “Orders were given for the registration of the FIR against sub-inspector Balwinder Singh after preliminary investigation by the special investigation team (SIT) of Mohali police found that he had opened fire at the man, dragged his sister and pushed her on the road. The SIT is investigating the matter and further action will be taken accordingly.”
The SSP had placed the SI under suspension on Monday and transferred him to the police lines. Besides, departmental action was initiated against three other police personnel present at the spot. They were identified as senior constable Binder Singh and constable Sabardeen, who are also posted at Mubarikpur police post. The SIT team, comprises superintendent of police (headquarters) Ravinder Pal Singh, Derabassi deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurbakshish Singh and Mullanpur DSP Amarpreet Singh.
“The firing incident could have been avoided. The initial findings of the probe suggested that SI Singh was not drunk or intoxicated. Also, the police personnel, accompanying SI Balwinder Singh during patrolling, are also responsible as they did not intervene and controlled the situation to maintain law and order”, DSP Gurbakshish Singh said.
The incident
The team from the Mubarikpur police post, led by the SI, was patrolling Haibatpur Road around 10.45pm, when it stopped Tarn Taran resident Akshay and his fiancee for checking on suspicion. Asked to hand over his bag for checking, Akshay resisted and allegedly misbehaved with the cops, while his fiancee summoned her sister and brother Hitesh, who showed up at the spot with his friends. The group misbehaved with the police team and also vandalised their vehicle with bricks and stones. To control the situation, the police said, SI Singh fired at Hitesh’s leg. Hitesh claimed that the SI was drunk and harassed his sister, and opened fire when his friends and he objected to his behaviour. A video of the incident is being shared on social media, purportedly showing the SI firing at Hitesh’s leg even as the victim and his friends were unarmed. The SI then dragged Hitesh’s sister and pushed her on the road. She was admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, along with Hitesh.
