Ludhiana: 7 MC staff suspended for assaulting ex-army are; 3 accused detained

The Machhiwara municipal council on Tuesday suspended seven employees accused of assaulting a retired army personnel and their son during an anti-burglary drive near the town bus stand on Monday night.

Three of the accused seven have been arrested so far, while raids are on to nab the remaining suspects, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Samrala) Pritpal Singh Sandhu said.

The DSP said the police had also invoked Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the accused for willful and malicious acts intended to outrage religious sentiments in the case.

“An FIR under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing harm), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 191(3) (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon) and 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed in prosecution of the BNS was lodged in the BNS register on Monday evening). 109 (attempt to murder) and 299 was added,” added the DSP.

The accused have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, alias Chhota of Charan Kanwal Chowk, Manoj Kumar and Paras of Valmiki Mohalla, and Babli and Nona of Machhiwara, among others named in the case.

The arrested persons are Sukhwinder Singh, Paras and Manoj Kumar, the police said.

The injured are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital in Samrala, the DSP said.

According to the complaint filed by victim Kuldeep Singh, the retired army personnel who earned his livelihood by growing vegetables and selling them from a tractor trolley was selling vegetables on the roadside near the bus stand when municipal council staff reached the spot to remove encroachments.

“They confiscated my loudspeaker and weighing machine and when I requested them to return the items, they started abusing him. An argument ensued, after which they started assaulting me. When my son, Sumanpreet Singh, tried to intervene, he was also attacked,” the 47-year-old man told the police.

Kuldeep further alleged that they were beaten with plastic crates and iron objects, dragged by the hair and publicly humiliated.

Mohit Kundrat, president of the municipal council, condemned the assault and said: “An anti-burglary inspection was being carried out in the area at the time of the incident. Seven employees have been suspended in connection with the case. We have ordered our staff to follow legal procedures while carrying out such drives and not take the law into their own hands.”

A video of the incident is deliberately doing rounds on social media.

HT has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.

Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and other Sikh organizations took action against the accused.