'Drunk' Policemen Rough Up A Women Atop Jeep's Bonnet, Drive For Three Kilometres In Punjab

A woman from a village in Amritsar travelled nearly 3 km on top of a police jeep before she fell down and suffered minor injuries. She got atop the jeep at Shahzada village and lost her balance and fell down at Chawinda Devi near Amritsar.

CCTV footage from Chawinda Devi shows that the cops did not even stop the jeep and help the woman when she fell, leaving her with a broken wrist and bruises.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon when a team from Punjab police¡¯s bureau of investigation reached (BOI) reached Jaswinder Kaur¡¯s home in Shahzada village to question her father-inlaw Balwant Singh, a former sarpanch of the village, allied with the Congress.

Jaswinder claims that the cops, who were allegedly drunk, said they had come to take away Balwant but would not give a reason for their actions. She panicked, stood in front of the jeep and told the cops they would not be allowed to leave unless they gave a reason. People in the vicinity also gathered at the house.

According to Jaswinder¡¯s complaint, the cops roughed her up, threw her on the bonnet in the scuffle that ensued and then sped away with her on the bonnet when people in the locality got agitated. Unable to keep her balance, Jaswinder says she managed to get on the Jeep¡¯s roof and hung on for dear life. She fell on the road 3 km away when the jeep suddenly swerved to negotiate a turn.

Talking to TOI, Jaswinder said, ¡°The cops first came on Saturday and then on Tuesday. On both occasions they wouldn¡¯t give me a reason for the visit.¡± It was later clarified that the cops wanted to talk to Balwant over a property dispute between him and another man.

¡°They were drunk and were not accompanied by a lady constable or officer. One of them removed my dupatta,¡± she alleged. ¡°The policemen who insulted me should be suspended and arrested.¡±

A police officer said the police party didn't find Balwant Singh at home. Apparently, the cops panicked after Jaswinder tried to stop the vehicle along with other relatives and villagers and immediately left the place.

TOI

Amritsar senior superintendent of police (rural) Parampal Singh said the police team registered a case against the woman and her family members for allegedly attacking them. ¡°We will register a cross-FIR after recording her statement and on the basis of her medical report,¡± he said. ¡°Local police had no role in the incident. We were not informed by the bureau of investigation before conducting the raid and we have informed our seniors accordingly.¡±

The BOI also got a case registered at police station Kathunangal against seven persons -- Jaswinder Kaur, Kulwant Singh Gurwinder Singh, Jagdish Singh, Pargat Singh, Sonu and Sandeep Kaur for causing damage to public property and under other sections of the IPC based on the statement of Inspector Palwinder Singh on Tuesday.

In the complaint, Palwinder alleged that Jaswinder Kaur climbed atop the roof of the police vehicle and damaged it with a brick. He said the driver drove off to save the police officials, and the woman fell off the vehicle.