Sukhbir Badal, Sikh bodies condemn attack on Sikh family in Hisar

Police said they have registered cross complaints against the two parties.

Two days after a Sikh family was allegedly manhandled here by four law students, Sikh bodies on Saturday demanded fair probe in the matter while the police said they have registered cross complaints against the two parties.

Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday condemned the attack on the Sikh family and urged Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take appropriate action in the matter.(HT File Photo)

In a complaint on Friday, one of the members of the Sikh family alleged that when they was returning from the restaurant, four youths started misbehaving, hurt their religious sentiments, molested a woman family member and threatened to kill them. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against accused law students Akash and Kuldeep with two others. The identity of the two was yet to be ascertained, police said.

This came after Akash and Kuldeep handed over a complaint to the police against the Sikh family on Thursday night. In their complaint, they had alleged that the family had attacked them with sharp-edged weapons and threatened to kill them.

Sandeep Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Civil Line Police Station said, “A case has been registered against Akash, Kuldeep and two others under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language) 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several person in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).” He added that a case was filed against Tanpreet, Joginder Singh, a woman and another person under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) 34 (acts done by several person in furtherance of common intention) and 506 (criminal intimidation) on the complaint of Akash and Kuldeep.

Meanwhile, a video of the incident has surfaced on social media. As per sources, the incident took place due to a misunderstanding.

As Akash, Kuldeep and their two friends were coming out of the hotel, the Sikh family was also leaving at the same time. A verbal spat ensued between Akash and Kanwaljeet, one of the members of the Sikh family, which led to a fight between the two men.

Sikh bodies condemn attack, demand action

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday condemned the attack on the Sikh family and urged Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take appropriate action in the matter.

In a statement here, the SAD president said, “It was condemnable that a Sikh family, living in Haryana for 43 years, was termed as outsiders and attacked when they protested against inappropriate and vulgar remarks being made against women.”

He said the four accused were reportedly intoxicated and allegd that they assaulted a member of the Sikh family, tossed his turban and even kicked a seven-month pregnant ‘amritdhari’ woman in the stomach.

He alleged that the four miscreants were rounded up at the restaurant, but by the time the Sikh family reached the Sector 16 police station in Hisar, the accused were let off.

“In a further insult to the aggrieved family, the Hisar police registered a case against their family member under Section 307 of the IPC,” the SAD president said.

He demanded that the false case be withdrawn immediately and a case under Section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) with other appropriate sections be registered against the accused.

SAD Kalanwali legislator Balkor Singh also visited the Sikh family in Hisar on Saturday and assured full support.

Sikh bodies also met at Gurudwara Singh Sabha here demanding a fair probe into the matter. They said they will meet Hisar’s superintendent of police Shiv Charan.

Meanwhile, the bar association of Hisar held a press conference on Saturday and said Akash, son of advocate Virender Malik, was at a hotel with his friends when the Sikh family attacked them. They alleged that the family was trying to give the issue a religious angle to the case.