Punjab Police inspector booked for assaulting ASI denied anticipatory bail

The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a Punjab Police inspector, who was booked by the Mohali police for assaulting an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in December 2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a Punjab Police inspector, who was booked by the Mohali police for assaulting an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in December 2021.

The accused, inspector Kulwant Singh, was booked on December 5, 2021, on the complaint of ASI Gurnam Singh. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“The allegations assume gravity in view of the fact that the accused himself belongs to a disciplined force but has indulged in such deprecable acts. As such, no case for grant of anticipatory bail is made out,” the bench of justice Gurvinder Singh Gill observed while dismissing the bail plea.

The accused, inspector Kulwant Singh, was booked on December 5, 2021, on the complaint of ASI Gurnam Singh.

He is facing a case under Sections 379-B (snatching with hurt), 323 (voluntary causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 186 (whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions) of the Indian Penal Code.

The ASI had alleged that the inspector, in an inebriated state, had gotten into a fight with his female companion, prompting her to call the police.

But when he reached the spot to look into the matter, Kulwant got into a verbal spat with him, roughed him up, slapped him and even tore his uniform, before fleeing, the complainant alleged.

In his plea, the inspector had argued that he had been falsely implicated in the case on account of some professional rivalry. It was also argued that even the women, who made the distress call, had given in writing that a false case has been foisted against him.

The court observed that that though the woman had supported the accused cop’s version, the distress call made by the woman and the accused cop manhandling the complainant was recorded in CCTV footage. Hence, the allegations were fairly substantiated, it said, dismissing the plea.