ASI booked, suspended for attacking scribes

An assistant sub-inspector was booked, suspended and shifted to police lines on Monday, after he allegedly attacked journalists and pointed his service revolver at them, threatening to kill them.

An assistant sub-inspector was booked, suspended and shifted to police lines on Monday, after he allegedly attacked journalists and pointed his service revolver at them, threatening to kill them.

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Six mediapersons had gone to the Police Station Division Number 4 to cover a crime report. However, ASI Kirpal Singh started pushing them back and thrashed a couple of them, when they objected.

“When other scribes objected to the ASI's action, he took out his service revolver and threatened all of us. The camera of photojournalist was also snatched,” Gagan Walia, a photo journalist with a vernacular daily, who was at the spot, told HT.

As the news spread, Punjab Press Club president Major Singh led a delegation to the police station and sat on dharna outside the police station to press for action against the ASI.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Navjot Mahal rushed to spot. It took the police three hours to take action on a written complaint from the mediapersons.

“We admit that the behavior of ASI is condemnable and an FIR has been registered against him at the same police station, where he was posted. He has been suspended and has also been transferred to police lines,” ADCP Mahal said.