E-Paper
Mohali cops booked for assaulting warrant officer
The case has been registered against multiple cops, including a sub-inspector, deployed at the station at the time of the incident; officials familiar with the case said two cops had also been suspended
The state crime cell has booked cops at the special cell station in Phase 7 for assaulting a warrant officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana high court to probe an illegal detention case.
The case has been registered against multiple cops, including a sub-inspector (SI), deployed at the station at the time of the incident. Officials familiar with the case said two cops had also been suspended.
The FIR has been lodged under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 187 (omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance), 189 (threat of injury to public servant) and 34 (acts done in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Acting on an e-mail received by one Dharmender Singh on March 8, alleging illegal detention of his six family members by Punjab Police, the high court had appointed Manoj Kashyap as warrant officer (WO) on March 20.
The WO was directed to conduct searches at all places mentioned in the petition. But on March 21, Kashyap was allegedly denied entry into the special cell station at Phase 7, Mohali, where the cops, according to him, misbehaved with him and assaulted him. He had subsequently submitted an incident report with the court.
On March 22, the high court observed, “It is apparent from the report that certain police officials, who were present there, misbehaved and assaulted the warrant officer appointed by this court. In fact, such inhuman, degrading and criminal conduct of the police officers cannot be taken lightly and this kind of lawlessness needs to be curbed with an iron hand. Even this conduct not only constitutes a criminal offence as the officer appointed by this court was not allowed to perform his official duties and was assaulted, but is also contemptuous.”
The high court had then further directed the Punjab director general of police (DGP) to depute an officer of the rank of inspector general of police (IGP) to probe the matter.
Punjab Police initially handed over the probe to an IGP-rank officer, who along with the Mohali SP (City) and a DSP-rank officer from another district, questioned the cops at the special cell. Later ADGP, STF, Nilabh Kishore, along with two other police officers, also conducted an investigation, leading to registration of a case on March 29.
In compliance with the high court’s order, dated March 22, the SSP also produced Dharmender’s family members before the court.
The state counsel submitted an affidavit by the Punjab DGP, claiming that none of them was in police custody and they were living at their house. The aforesaid persons were free to move at a place of their own choice as they were not required by the police at this stage, the affidavit stated.
