(File/Photo)
THE SHIROMANI Akali Dal on Monday demanded immediate action against all political leaders and police officials responsible for afflicting “third degree torture” on Jagrup Singh, the grandson of freedom fighter Giani Labh Singh.
In a statement here, former minister and SAD general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said it was shocking that “Congress leaders and workers were not even sparing the children of freedom fighters in their ongoing campaign to suppress all voices of dissent”. He said Jagrup’s only mistake was that he had given an application demanding vacation of illegal occupation of the pond at his native village, Madhir, in Muktsar district. “For this, he was kept in illegal custody for 32 hours and subjected to third degree torture,” claimed Majithia.
Jagrup had alleged that after registering a case of political vendetta, police tortured him on July 24 at the behest of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and a few other Congress leaders. Muktsar police have begun investigation. Warring was not available for comment.
“In this case, the charge of political vendetta against Jagrup has been levelled by the Freedom Fighters’ Descendants Association and not SAD. The association has asserted that Jagrup was tortured on the directions of Muktsar Congress legislator Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. It has even given the reason for the torture. Now, it is for the government to act or admit that it has no desire to act against its own leaders and workers,” said Majithia.
The SAD leader said it was condemnable that the situation had come to such a pass that the freedom fighters’ descendants had announced that they would boycott the state Independence Day celebrations if justice was not delivered. The Akali leader demanded immediate registration of a case against the Congress legislator as well as other Congressmen responsible for this heinous crime. He also demanded dismissal of the SHO and other police personnel who had tortured Jagrup. “This is the least the government can do to honour the memory of our freedom fighters,” he said.
