Madhya Pradesh cops assault Sikhs; 2 policemen suspended
Barwani (MP): Two Sikhs were allegedly assaulted by policemn in Madhya Pradesh, prompting the BJP-led state government to suspend two cops in this connection.
The government said assistant sub-inspector Sitaram Bhatnagar and head constable Mohan Jamre have been suspended for not following due procedure while detaining the Sikhs.
Barwani district Superintendent of Police Nimish Agrawal said a probe by sub-divisional officer police has been ordered into the incident, which took place on Thursday.
The incident took place in Rajpur tehsil of Barwani district after an argument between the family of Giani Prem Singh Granthi - who was among those assaulted - and the police over setting up a stall in the area.
A viral video of the incident shows Prem Singh being dragged by policemen in full public view and a cop pulling him by his hair. It also shows another policeman push a turbaned man, who comes to save Singh.
State Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja tweeted the video and criticised the police.
"The granthi has long been running a lock-keys shop near the Pulsood police outpost. He was beaten, his turban desecrated and then he was pulled through hair on the road in full public view by cops. This amounts to insulting religious sentiments of the Sikh community," Saluja tweeted.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal took to Twitter to condemn the incident.
"Too shocking for words! The barbaric & humiliating attack on Giani Prem Singh Granthi & other Sikhs in Madhya Pradesh is utterly inhuman & unacceptable. I urge CM @ChouhanShivraj to set an example of punitive action against those who treat the sword of the nation with such contempt," Badal tweeted.
"Beastly attack on Giani Prem Singh Granthi & other Sikhs in MP is an outrage against humanity. Utterly reprehensible & unacceptable! #Sikhs all over the world are deeply shocked. I urge CM @ChouhanShivraj to take imm & examplary action against all those guilty of this brutality," Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal tweeted.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath tweeted, "This atrocity and anti-social act is disrespect to the holy Sikh religion. Such incidents cannot be tolerated. I demand from the government to immediately take strong action against those responsible for it and justice for the victims."
The incident took place in Rajpur Tehsil of Barwani after an argument broke out between the family of Giani Prem Singh Granthi and the police over setting up a stall in the area, police said he was drunk, two suspended @ndtvindia @ndtv pic.twitter.com/C6SudAS5cD
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) August 7, 2020
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Woman gang-raped in UP's Fatehpur; 2 held, 1 absconding
Kanpur (UP) (PTI): A woman in her 20s was allegedly raped by three men in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district while she was out with her fiance, with police saying two accused have been arrested.
The gangrape occurred last Friday in the Khaga Kotwali area, officials said on Tuesday evening.
The couple had stopped on their way to a relative's house due to the intense heat when two men allegedly approached them, questioned their presence, and began abusing them.
The accused allegedly assaulted the fiance, held him captive and raped the woman. A third accomplice was later called to the spot, after which all three men allegedly took turns assaulting her for nearly three hours.
According to the victim's fiance, the accused beat the couple, threatened them, filmed the assault, and forced the fiance to transfer Rs 2,500 online.
They also allegedly made the couple record a video stating that "nothing had happened," warning them against going to the police.
The couple initially approached the local police station but claimed their complaint was not registered, and they were mistreated.
An FIR was lodged only after they approached Fatehpur SP Abhimanyu Manglik on Sunday.
Police have since arrested two accused, Lalit (29) and Yuvraj Singh (28), based on transaction details and the survivor's identification.
The main accused, Bablu Singh (33), remains on the run, and a reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for information on his whereabouts.
The accused have been booked for rape, extortion and under relevant provisions of the IT Act. Multiple teams, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), are working to track down the absconding accused.
Action has also been taken against police personnel for alleged negligence.
The station house officer, R K Patel, has been removed from his post and sent to police lines, and an outpost in-charge, Sub-Inspector Aneesh Singh, has been suspended.
The victim's family has alleged they are receiving threats and offers of money to withdraw the complaint. They have also claimed the main accused has a political affiliation with the party which is in power, an allegation denied by local party representatives.
A Samajwadi Party delegation visited the victim's village, demanding strict action. Police said further investigation is ongoing.
