A station house officer (SHO) in Barnala’s Dhanaula has been suspended after a 40-year-old man from Rajgarh village in Barnala district reportedly consumed poison, allegedly after being manhandled by the police official.
The accused officer, identified as SHO Lakhveer Singh, allegedly manhandled and abused the victim and his family members, including women, during a dispute over a village street being pursued by the local panchayat.
The incident occurred around 10am on Sunday when panchayat member Gursewak Singh reportedly called the police to the scene. SHO Lakhveer Singh allegedly arrived in civilian clothes and publicly assaulted the victim in front of other villagers. This led the victim to “attempt suicide” by consuming a poisonous substance, alleged the family members, who added that women present at the spot were also mistreated and subjected to abusive language.
Reacting to the incident, Barnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhillon said in a social media post that failure to conduct a fair investigation would lead to public agitation. He further alleged that this was not the first complaint of misconduct against the officer.
Deputy superintendent of police (D-branch) Rajinder Pal Singh confirmed that the injured victim is undergoing treatment at BMC Hospital in Barnala. He added that SHO Lakhveer Singh has been suspended with immediate effect, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
{{/usCountry}}Deputy superintendent of police (D-branch) Rajinder Pal Singh confirmed that the injured victim is undergoing treatment at BMC Hospital in Barnala. He added that SHO Lakhveer Singh has been suspended with immediate effect, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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