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Mohali: Two PCR cops suspended, SI facing probe for misbehaviour with tavern owner
Tavern owner had stopped the SI from consuming Chandigarh-bought liquor at his shop; he was then detained by the two PCR cops
Three days after a sub-inspector (SI) allegedly misbehaved with the employees of a tavern near YPS Chowk, Mohali, after being refrained from drinking liquor bought from Chandigarh, two PCR cops have been suspended and a probe has been marked against the SI.
As per allegations, SI Baljit Singh, deployed with Sadak Suraksha Force (SSF), visited the said tavern, which falls in Mohali, carrying a liquor bottle purchased from Chandigarh.
After Gurvinder Singh, the tavern owner, and his employees objected to this and asked the cop to buy Punjab liquor, a heated exchange erupted. Dressed in civvies, the SI was seated alone at one of the tables, as captured by the CCTV cameras.
As onlookers and bouncers tried to intervene, the SI got offended and summoned a PCR team to the spot. Soon after, ASI Subhash and constable Rakesh Kumar reached the tavern and also misbehaved with him and his staff, the owner alleged.
Amid the altercation, the PCR cops forcibly took him to the Phase-8 police station, Gurvinder alleged.
Eventually, after he informed senior police officers about the incident, a complaint was lodged against the cops.
“We have taken preventive action against Baljit Singh and also written to SSF for appropriate action. The cops have been accused of misbehaviour. We are yet to investigate the complete matter and will take further action accordingly,” said HS Bal, deputy superintendent of police (DSP, City-2).
Meanwhile, police officials familiar with the matter, the PCR team did not do any videography of the incident before detaining the tavern owner, which was mandatory as per the new criminal laws.
Police are also verifying whether the PCR cops were drunk.
A senior Punjab excise officer explained that liquor not bought from within the state cannot be consumed in public. “Since the duty of the bottle purchased from Chandigarh was paid to the UT and not to Punjab state, it was not permissible to consume its contents at a tavern in Punjab,” the officer added.
