There was something really odd about it. The crowd that gathered outside the police station when a famous popstar, who the police said was involved in an immigration racket, was not fans but protesters. What made the ‘‘spontaneous’’ protest against Daler Mehndi more suspicious was the visible police support—the photograph of a policeman serving food to the protesters. Now, as cases against the singer collapse one by one, an Indian Express investigation has shown the police not only supported the October 27 protest but organised it as well. The march outside Sadar police station was stage-managed by police officers who apparently wanted to teach the singer a lesson for daring to call them bribe-seekers. The ‘protesters’ included small-time criminals they could organise at short notice and some Youth Congress workers. Daler, who had driven to the town in his Mercedes Benz SUV, was stopped 200 metres short of the Sadar police station by the mob which threw plaster of paris on his SUV’s windscreen and shouted slogans. It took Daler, who was at the wheel, 40 minutes to cover the sretch. Investigations by The Indian Express have shown that the evening before Daler was to arrive in Patiala, then Special Investigation Team member Inspector Didar Singh rung up chosen SHOs and asked them to bring two busloads of people to the Sadar police station by 8 am. ‘‘Didar rang up from his mobile and said that ‘Saheb wants you to bring two busloads.’ We were not told the reason. It was only when we got there that we were told that we had to demonstrate against Daler,’’ said a police station in-charge. A demonstrator from Rajpura who was in the bus said: ‘‘My friend was told by a policeman that we have to go to Patiala, but no specific task was given to us. My friend said it was a matter of police begar (favour to the police). Two buses were also engaged. Around 50 of us were ferried and as soon as we reached the outskirts of Rajpura, a police Gypsy with an inspector in uniform checked the buses and started leading the convoy. The buses stopped outside Sadar PS. We were told to wait along the main road about 200 m from the police station. Then we were informed that we have to protest against Daler. After the protest, we were served food inside the police station.’’ Lumpen elements from Patiala’s mohallas were arranged by some local gangsters at the orders of the junior-level policemen. ‘‘I got a call on my mobile from an ASI saying that I have to ensure presence of at least 50 persons at the Sadar PS. I could not refuse because I have frequent brushes with the police. I was also told that I was to arrange for the vehicles myself for which I sought the help of a local politician. I could manage about 40 persons, including a few women. In the evening, the boys were treated to drinks and lavish food paid for by the politician,’’ revealed a small-time criminal. According to sources in the Sadar PS, food for the protesters and the banners and placards were prepared in the backyard of the police station. Later, the policemen themselves served food to protesters. The police force delegated to control the mob was led by Sadar SHO Shamsher Singh ‘Guddu’, another member of the SIT constituted by then Patiala SSP Paramraj Singh Umranangal. ‘‘The protesters were being spurred on by Inspector Didar Singh, who was in plain clothes,’’ said a middle-rung police official who was witness to the demonstration. Both Didar and Guddu are known to be the former SSP’s blue-eyed boys and were handpicked for the SIT. Didar was called from Bhadson police station and entrusted with the probe against Daler. When contacted, IGP Shashi Kant said: ‘‘I have to file an affidavit on the demonstration in the High Court. I have called for reports from the DIG and the SSP.’’ Patiala SSP Amardeep Singh Rai initially refused to comment. ‘‘How can I comment on the working of my predecessor?’’ he said. When contacted with specific instances, he said: ‘‘We are not sure of the credentials of the demonstrators. Some of them could have been relatives of the aggrieved people, and others curious onlookers. Anyway, an inquiry into this whole affair is underway.’’ Inspector Didar Singh maintained that he had no connection with the demonstration. ‘‘I was inside the police station as member of the SIT. If I was leading the demonstrators, I should have figured in the photographs,’’ he said. Guddu, when contacted, said: ‘‘Either you believe my version or that of the demonstrators. I was all the time within the police station. The police force was being led by SP (Operations) and not me. I, in fact, protected Daler from the demonstrators.’’ Sanjeev Sharma, president of the Patiala district Youth Congress, was one of those present at the police staion on October 27. ‘‘I had gone there as a couple of my partymen approached me with the request that I accompany them as some of their friends had been duped by the Mehndi brothers. They wanted me to be around so that the complainants were heard by the police during Daler’s interrogation. I was present when the demonstration was on but I did not participate. I also do not know any of the participants.’’ But his party workers were certainly there. A Youth Congress activist in the Bishan Nagar area admitted that he had participated in the protest. ‘‘I got a phone call from one of my party associates asking me to join the protest. I was also asked to bring along at least 10 people. I was told that the protest was against Daler Mehndi,’’ he said, though he said he could not make out what his organisation had to do with it. (With inputs from Jagdeep Chopra)
