The Machhiwara municipal council on Tuesday suspended seven employees accused of assaulting a retired army personnel and his son during an anti-encroachment drive near the town bus stand on Monday night.
Three of the seven accused have been arrested so far, while raids are underway to nab the remaining suspects, deputy superintendent of police (Samrala) Pritpal Singh Sandhu said.
The DSP said police have also invoked Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the accused for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings in the case.
“An FIR under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 191(3) (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon) and 190 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the BNS was registered on Monday night. Later, Sections 109 (attempt to murder) and 299 were added,” the DSP added.
The accused have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, alias Chhota of Charan Kanwal Chowk, Manoj Kumar and Paras of Valmiki Mohalla, and Babli and Nona of Machhiwara, besides others named in the case.
The arrested persons are Sukhwinder Singh, Paras and Manoj Kumar, police said.
The injured are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital in Samrala, the DSP said.
According to the complaint filed by victim Kuldeep Singh, the retired army personnel who earns his livelihood by cultivating vegetables and selling them from a tractor-trolley, was selling vegetables on the roadside near the bus stand when municipal council employees reached the spot to remove encroachments.
“They confiscated my speaker and weighing machine and when I requested them to return the items, they started abusing him. An argument followed, after which they started assaulting me. When my son, Sumanpreet Singh, tried to intervene, he was also attacked,” the 47-year-old man told police.
Kuldeep further claimed that they were beaten with plastic crates and iron objects, dragged by the hair and humiliated in public.
Condemning the assault, municipal council president Mohit Kundrat said, “An anti-encroachment inspection was being carried out in the area at the time of the incident. Seven employees have been suspended in connection with the case. We have directed our staff to follow legal procedures while carrying out such drives and not take the law into their own hands.”
A video of the incident is purportedly making rounds on social media.
HT has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.
Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and other Sikh organisations have sought action against the accused.
