Ab tak chalis

Jagdeep Singh Deep and Adil Akhzer track down some police personnel who were assaulted on duty. As per the police, more than 40 such cases have been reported this year.

Rohtash, Sub-Inspector
Case: Last week when Sub-Inspector Rohtash left Mauli Jagran police post for routine night patrolling, little did he know that he would come under attack. As soon as he reached near the Machli market, he found youngsters consuming alcohol in a public park. When he along with his team tried to catch them, stones were hurled at them. Rohtash was wounded severely and he received 25 stitches on his head.
The police officer says that when he was attacked by the youth, it was an old woman who intervened and stopped the youngsters. “I am alive because of the old woman who came to my rescue,” he says. “First they attacked me with stones. When I fell down, they dragged me and started beating me. It is humiliation; they do not fear the police.”
Although Rohtash has been advised rest by doctors and his senior officers, he visits the police post daily. “I am not taking any rest, because I want to arrest those who are still absconding,” he says.
Status: Police have arrested five out of the 15 youths involved in the case. The remaining are absconding.

Ram Pal, Head Constable
Case: Head Constable Ram Pal is with the traffic wing of the UT Police. In the last week of September, he was deployed in Sector 23/24, where he was beaten up by unknown youths, who were travelling in a Swift car. Ram Pal says that the youths jumped the red light, and when he tried to challan them, they started beating him up.
“I fell on the ground and was unconscious. It was the locals who came to help me and I was taken to hospital. I never thought it would happen with me. For a moment, I felt as if my backbone was gone forever,” he says.
Ram Pal adds, “I was alone there when the incident happened. Had we been three to four personnel, no one would have touched me.”
Status: A case was registered under sections 332, 353, 506 and 34 of the IPC at the Sector 11 police station. “I keep calling the investigating officer of the case. So far nobody has been arrested,” says Ram Pal.

Pawan Kumar, Constable
Case: It was a chilly December night of 2011 when constable Pawan Kumar, who was posted in Phase 1 police station in Mohali, received a call that two thieves were seen entering an empty house in Phase 1, Mohali. Pawan along with his colleague reached the spot and challenged the thieves. Feeling trapped, the thieves started fleeing but one of them fell in the courtyard of the house.
“The thieve started fleeing but I caught hold of him. Suddenly, he took a ‘katta’ and fired at me. My other colleagues also reached there by that time and caught the thief,” said Pawan.
Pawan was taken to the civil hospital in Phase VI but doctors referred him to the PGI, Chandigarh.
“I never thought that I will join my duty again but thank God, I am here again,” says Pawan.
Status: A case under Section 307 of the IPC was registered against the accused. The case is still going on in the Mohali court.

Ravinder Singh, Constable
Case: Punjab Police constable Ravinder Singh was on routine patrolling in November 2013. He along with his colleague reached Phase 3b2, Mohali, and asked a couple sitting there to go as it was very late in the night. The boy who was sitting with his female friend had a quarrel with Ravinder. The cop again asked the couple to leave, which led to heated arguments.
Ravinder called the PCR to send some cops to deal with the couple, the boy also called some of his friends who were near by. Around 12 people attacked Ravinder with swords and baseball bats. Ravinder suffered serious injuries to his head and was admitted to hospital. It took many months for him to recover.
Status: An FIR was registered against unknown persons and after one month, 12 persons were arrested in connection with the attack.

Sher Singh, Constable
Case: Haryana Police constable Sher Singh who is posted as a gunman with former Haryana MLA Naresh Yadav went to the house of Mahant Chotu Nath on November 18 night along with him. Yadav and Chotu Nath are friends and both left for Panchkula after dropping Sher Singh at the latter’s house in Sector 19, Chandigarh. Late in the night, Yadav dropped Chotu Nath in Sector 19, but did not pick Sher Singh who was there.
According to Sher Singh, it was around 2 am when Chotu Nath and two of his accomplices started asking him about a mobile phone but he did not know anything about it.
“They told me that Naresh Yadav took mahant’s mobile phone along and told me to bring it back. When I refused, they started abusing me. When I objected, they thrashed me and hit me in the head and also asked me to leave their place. It was horrific; I somehow managed to save my life,” says Sher Singh.
Status: Chandigarh Police booked Chotu Nath and two of his accomplices, Somveer and Sunil Kumar.

Ram Meher Singh , Head Constable
Case: Ram Meher Singh, who is with PCR, was beaten up by a Vikas Nagar resident on September 25. He along with his volunteer driver of PCR vehicle reached the spot after they received a message about a quarrel.
“We reached the spot and he (accused) quarrelled with us as well. He tore the driver’s uniform,” says Ram Meher.
He adds, “There is a need to show some strictness so that such incidents are not repeated in the future. Also, if there are more police personnel, such things would not take place.”
Status: The police registered a case under sections 323, 353 of the IPC against Paramjit, a resident of Vikas Nagar, and arrested him.