SAD sarpanch, 3 others booked for abetting Dalit boy’s suicide
Friday, 20/01/2017
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BATHINDA: Beaten up for allegedly harassing a classmate, a 15-yearold Dalit student of Government High School, Bhai Bakhtaur, committed suicide by jumping before a train near Yatri, 30 km from here, on Wednesday.
The railway police on Thursday booked Bhai Bakhtaur sarpanch Charanjit Singh, school management committee chairman Pali, teacher Sanjeev Kumar and the mother of the girl who had alleged harassment for abetting victim Gurpreet Singh’s suicide, on his father Maghar Singh’s complaint.
The sarpanch, who belongs to Shiromani Akali Dal, and the three others had allegedly beaten up the boy, a Class 9 student, in the school. Gurpreet’s name was also struck off the school rolls without informing the family, alleged his cousin Gulab Singh.
Angry villagers blocked the road and locked the school gate on Thursday and didn’t let the teachers and other staff enter the premises. Some residents allegedly beat up the sarpanch as well. Police and other security personnel deployed in the district for the assembly polls had to be moved to the village.
Bathinda superintendent of police (operations) Davinder Singh, who reached the village, said the railway police had registered a case under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said the sarpanch had made no complaint about being manhandled.
