Five cops suspended for assaulting couple who refused to share their hookah with them
Sanjeev Balhara, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar), said Bedi initially agreed but when they smelled alcohol on the policemen and realised that they were inebriated, the family refused and asked the policemen to leave
Five policemen were suspended on Thursday and a departmental inquiry initiated against them for assaulting a couple in village Fazilpur after they allegedly refused to share their hookah with the policemen, said senior officers on Thursday.
Police said the policemen -- identified as sub-inspector Bhagwan Kumar, head constable Manoj Kumar and constables Ravinder, Vikas and Pradeep-- stationed in the office of DCP, South, were in plainclothes and were passing by a house in the village on Wednesday around 11pm when they spotted a couple, Paramjeet Bedi and his wife, with a hookah. They went inside the house and asked the couple to share it with them. All the policemen were stationed in the office of DCP, South.
Sanjeev Balhara, assistant commissioner of police (Sadar), said Bedi initially agreed but when they smelled alcohol on the policemen and realised that they were inebriated, the family refused and asked the policemen to leave. “The policemen were adamant and forced the couple to give up the hookah. But when they still resisted, the policemen assaulted them. The victims raised the alarm following which villagers caught hold of three policemen while two escaped from the spot,” he said.
Balhara said the policemen were not deployed in the area and were not even in uniform. “Bedi and his wife were not aware that they were policemen. We received a call from locals following which the station house officer of Badshahpur police station and I reached the spot and rescued them,” he said.
The policemen were injured and were bleeding when the team rescued them. Later, a medical examination confirmed that all three were drunk, police said. A case under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 323 (causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimation) of Indian Penal Code was registered against them at Badshahpur police station on Thursday.
Upasna Singh, deputy commissioner of police, said that five of them were suspended pending a departmental inquiry. “The policemen were granted bail and three of them have joined the investigation. Anyone found resorting to such activities will face strict action,” she said.
Bedi said the policemen abused him and his wife and assaulted them when they shouted for help. Hearing their cries, villagers rushed to their rescue and roughed up the policemen. “We always welcome guests and would have attended to the policemen as well, but they were no condition to be welcomed. It was already late and they were smelling of alcohol. So we refused them and they assaulted us,” he said.
Rohtas Bedi, Congress leader and the victim’s brother, said, “These policemen should be placed behind bars for their behaviour. They did not even consider the couple’s advanced years before attacking them,” he said.
Rahul Bedi, son of the victim couple, said, “I was parking my car when I heard my father and mother screaming. My brother Akshay and I rushed inside and the five suspects were trying to flee on seeing us. We caught three of them while the others fled in their car. The three claimed that they were policemen and tried to threaten us. I called on police helpline 112 and soon a team police reached our home.”
Sub-inspector Bhagwan Kumar refuted the allegations and said they never abused or assaulted the couple. “We were passing by and saw the hookah, so we stopped and asked them to share it with us. They got annoyed and started hitting us,” he said.
Ravinder Kumar, constable, said they had consumed a few drinks but were in their senses. “We had no intention of creating a ruckus. The couple started shouting and took out curtain rods and started hitting us. They did not allow us to explain. They assaulted us and held us hostage,” he said.
