Constable-SP row hits morale of Mansa police

The SAD-BJP government often maintains that it has least intervention in the working of the state police, but the recent case of a police constable, who happens to be the grandson of a SAD MLA, misbehaving with a senior police officer tells a different story.

The SAD-BJP government often maintains that it has least intervention in the working of the state police, but the recent case of a police constable, who happens to be the grandson of a SAD MLA, misbehaving with a senior police officer tells a different story.

Constable Gurwake Singh, grandson of Chatin Singh Samao, had publicly misbehaved with SP Rakesh Kumar when the latter had asked him not to park his car at a space earmarked for union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

On Tuesday, acting SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor had submitted a report which only mentions the sequence of events while no action has been recommended by him.

“I have submitted the report to the commandant 6 Indian Reserved Batallion (IRB). I have not recommended suspension or registration of any case against him,” the SSP said.

He also refrained from commenting when asked whether a departmental inquiry was much lesser a punishment for such misbehaviour. However Mansa SSP Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, who is on leave, said he would take a proper action against the guilty constable.

Morale crisis for district police

In 2015, there have been several instances where the policeman have been publicly rebuked by the politicians of the ruling party and have got away with it.

During a sangat darshan programme, Harsimrat Kaur Badal had publicly asked the then SSP to remove the barricade to allow people to come closer to the stage. Earlier this year, one of the station house officers (SHOs) was allegedly suspended merely because he had arranged a much elevated stage for the sangat darshan programme which didn’t go down well with the Harsimrat Kaur.

In yet another incident, some policemen were allegedly thrashed by SAD workers inside Boha police station, when they was trying to solve an issue between two parties.

Later an FIR was registered against unidentified people for attacking the cop inside the police station.

The recent case has agitated the police department, however, most of the officers wanted to maintain the condition of anonymity while speaking to this correspondent. This proves ‘political pressure’ on them.

SP Rakesh Kumar said he didn’t take action against the constable, as he didn’t want to spoil the sangat darshan programme of the union minister. Others however said often during the sangat darshan programmes, local leaders rebuke them for not allowing them to go close to the minister due to security issues.

“We always try our best to ensure that there is no compromise over the security of the ministers and for that we have to stop leaders from getting nearer to the ministers. That is when the local leaders get into argument with us and we often are at the receiving end,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity.

Another officer said SAD workers and anti-social elements would gain strength from the way the recent case involving the SP has been handled.

“How dare a constable misbehave with an SP rank officer? It has only happened because the constable is the grandson of SAD MLA,” said, the officer.

Congress MLA Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, “Not only the state police but the Akalis have obviously ruined every democratic institution in the state. The anti-social elements within the SAD have only enjoyed while taming the policemen and have got away with it.”

SAD MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder didn’t respond despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Past incidents

September 18: Constable Gurwake Singh, grandson of SAD MLA Chatin Singh Samao engaged in a heated argument with SP Rakesh Kumar

June: Some policemen were allegedly thrashed by SAD workers inside Boha police station, when they was trying to solve an issue between two parties

September 2, 2015: One SHO was allegedly suspended as he had arranged a much elevated stage for Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s sangar darshan programme.