BATHINDA, JANUARY 11: The issue of ``confining'' Bathinda MP Bhan Singh Bhoura to ``illegal custody'' has taken a new turn with leaders of the CPI, CPM, Congress BSP, AISAD and a number of human rights organisations writing to the President demanding a CBI inquiry into the whole episode.A memorandum signed by CPI district secretary Jagjit Singh Joga, BSP district president Sham Singh Joura, PPCC general secretary Surinder Kapoor, CPM district secretary Darshan Mehraj, SHSAD general Secretary Ishatpal Singh Khailiwala, Punjab Human Rights Organisation district secretary Satpal Goel, Insaaf International general secretary Vineeta Gupta, People's Unions for Civil Liberties (Punjab chapter) general secretary Ved Prakash, Lok Mohra district secretary Pushpalata and others, was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner.The leaders allege that on January 8, when the ETT course-holders wanted to stage a protest before Sukhbir Singh Badal, Chief Minster Parkash Singh Badal's son, who was in Bathinda for a partymeeting, the local police forcibly kept them inside the teachers' home, the starting point for the protest rally.The leaders allege that in a bid to foil the protest march, the police not only manhandled the protesters but also misbehaved with the lady teachers. They allege that the police locked the teachers' home manager inside a room and disconnected his telephone.As the ETT course-holders were lodging their protest in peaceful manner, the local administration had no right to keep them in the legal confinement, the memorandum says.It adds that after being apprised of the police high-handedness, local MP Bhan Singh Bhoura, accompanied by former Congress minister Surinder Kapoor and CPM district secretary Darshan Mehraj, rushed to the teachers' home. After initial resistance, the police allowed them inside, but they were forced to remain there for about two hours.The memorandum says the police had no right to keep an MP, who represents over 10 lakh people, in ``illegal custody''. The DC hadimposed Section 144 ``to legalise'' the highhandedness of the police, which was totally uncalled for, the memorandum says.
