SHO too was present, says ‘tortured’ meat seller

Patiala : Meat seller Manga Singh (who belongs to a backward class) today confirmed that while he was allegedly being tortured by the Sangrur police, the SHO concerned was also present in the police station. Following this, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes issued a notice to the Patiala range DIG Balkar Sidhu, asking him to probe into the matter and add the name of the SHO in the FIR.
Commission Vice-Chairman Raj Kumar Verka today summoned the IG, Patiala zone, Naunihal Singh, Patiala range DIG Balkar Sidhu and Sangrur SSP Pritpal Singh Thind at the Circuit House.He came down heavily upon the police officers for their “failure to arrest main accused Sanjay Sharma Babloo and also for not registering FIR against the SHO concerned. He further reprimanded the police officers questioning how a wine contractor had become a member of the police advisory panel.
“I met Manga Singh personally and recorded his statement in which he clearly mentions that SHO Jatinderpal Singh was in the police station and left only when the torture level reached its peak,” Verka stated.DIG Sidhu said, “We will add his name only if we have any concrete evidence as Manga has in his earlier statement not mentioned the SHO’s presence.” He, however, could not explain the delay in the arrest of main accused Babloo, who also finds a place in the police advisory panel that is shortlisted by the Sangrur SSP. “I will look into it,” he said.Verka said, “At the police station, petrol was injected and a wooden stick forced into his private parts by the policemen and the DIG and the SSP are now hell bent to save the SHO,” he stated.Meanwhile, Punjab State SC/ST Commission chairman Rajesh Bagga also met senior police officers after visiting Manga at Government Rajindra Hospital. He later issued one week’s time to the police to present the complete case file to him.