Sukhbir shielding Shruti abductor: Cong
Thursday, 18/10/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121018/punjab.htm#1
Chandigarh : The Punjab Congress today claimed Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was shielding the key accused in the case involving the abduction of a minor girl in Faridkot. It submitted a memorandum to Governor Shivraj Patil highlighting the “all-round failure” of the state government.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Sunil Jakhar announced that the party would hold a dharna in Faridkot along with the local committee formed a get justice for the abducted girl, Shruti. He said they would burn an effigy of the Badal government along with that of Ravana on Dusehra.
Jakhar claimed that the Deputy Chief Minister, who also held the Home portfolio, seemed to be shielding the main accused, Nishan Singh. He pointed out that Nishan Singh was a member of the now disbanded Students Organisation of India (SOI), a pro-Aklais student body.
Shruti’s parents, who accompanied the Congress delegation, related their tale of woe to the media. Her father Ashwani Sachdeva said their minor daughter was abducted from their house in Faridkot in broad daylight on September 24. He alleged that the criminals, who were led by 19-year-old Nishan Singh, forced their way into the house as soon as his wife opened the door to leave for work.
Sachdeva said his wife, who tried to save Shruti, was hit by rods and suffered three fractures on her arm. Sachdeva alleged that a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) by the name of Gurmeet Singh remained outside the house when Shruti was being kidnapped and did not react to their pleas for help. This clearly showed that the police was helping the criminals.
Jakhar presented a poor family from Mullanpur in Dakha, alleging that their 10-year-old girl was abducted on May 5, raped and abandoned in Delhi. The girl’s father claimed that despite his daughter identifying the abductors, the police was not taking any action against them. He also highlighted another rape case in Gurdaspur in which no arrests had been made.
The Congress memorandum to the Governor also spoke of the government “insensitivity” to the outbreak of gastroenteritis in Batala. Legislator Ashwani Sekhri said 21 persons had died in Batala’s Gandhi Camp area because of contaminated drinking water supply. He said other towns like Abohar, Fazilka and Jagraon also faced the same problem, yet no corrective action was being taken by the government.
Khanna legislator Gurkirat Singh Kotli demanded that the complaint of Punjab Youth Congress activists that the Chandigarh police had damaged the vehicles of its activists during a march to the assembly be re-investigated.
Tandon: Suspend erring police officers
Chandigarh: Senior BJP leader and former minister Balramji Das Tandon today urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to suspend former Faridkot DIG Paramraj Singh Umranangal and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurinder Singh Dhillon for dereliction of duty and bringing a bad name to the SAD-BJP Government. He said it was unfortunate that some police officers were not behaving professionally. Instead of receiving instructions from their seniors, these officers were working at the behest political persons of the area.
