Rights' panel orders probe in urine case

Rights' panel orders probe in urine case
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CHANDIGARH, JULY 9: The Punjab Human Rights Commission ordered an inquiry into the incident where police allegedly forced a man to drink the urine of a sarpanch at a police post.

The Commission, headed by Chairman Justice V K Khanna, has asked Additional Director General of Police (Punjab) A P Bhatnagar to conduct the inquiry and submit his report within four weeks.

The Commission recorded the statement of Constable Baljeet Singh, a crucial eyewitness in the case, on Saturday. The constable, who had stated that he could not stand the sight of Balbir Singh, a baptised Sikh, being made to drink urine in Wadala Granthia village police post, has said that he is being pressurised to change his statement.

It may be mentioned that the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu notice of the incident reported in The Indian Express on June 22, even though the police maintained that their enquiry had shown that no such incident had taken place.

Balbir Singh, an employee of a Ludhiana-based hosiery mill, had alleged that on April 29 he was kidnapped by ASI Lakhbir Singh and Head Constable Mohinder Pal at around 8 pm. He alleged that he was beaten up and abused before being taken to the village post, where he had been stripped naked.

He further alleged that the sarpanch's nephew had forcibly poured a glass of urine into his mouth while others had caught hold of him. His version had been corroborated by the eyewitness, the constable, saying that the ASI had asked the sarpanch to avenge his mother's death by forcing Balbir to drink urine.

Baljeet Singh was later suspended on May 10 for consuming liquor in the police post. He said he was forcibly taken to the Batala residence of SP (Detective) Jaspal Singh Banoya, who is probing the case. He said he was threatened outside his residence by an ASI and a head constable and made to sign two blank sheets of paper.

According to the police, Baljeet's statement was consequent of his suspension for consuming liquor on duty. Sarpanch Sulakhan Singh, on the other hand, has claimed that Balbir Singh had harassed his daughters by blowing his car's horn and that the incident had been reported to the police. Though he had admitted to The Indian Express that he had beaten Balbir at the police post, he denied forcing him to drink his urine.