Woman accuses police of assaulting her 12-year-old son for theft

BATHINDA: A Bathinda resident has accused the town's police personnel of beating her 12-year-old son, who was accused of stealing money from a shop. His mother, Amandeep Kaur, also alleged that the policemen poured petrol on the minor's private parts.

Meanwhile, Kotwali station house officer (SHO) has refuted the charges and Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) has marked a probe to the superintendent of police (investigations) in the incident.

Speaking to the media on Friday Amandeep alleged that her son was playing near Bathinda cloth market on December 3 when some shopkeepers caught him and thrashed him, accusing him of stealing money from a shop. He was then handed over to the police, who also beat him up and poured petrol on his private parts".

"In the evening, when I went to the police station, I was asked to give Rs 15,000. I gave them Rs 5,000 and assured to pay the remaining amount the next day. When we took the boy home, he was not feeling well and had to be hospitalised. When policemen demanded the remaining amount, I threatened to go to the vigilance department and now they are putting pressure to reach a compromise in the issue," the minor's mother said.

Dismissing the allegations, Kotwala SHO Davinder Singh said the shopkeepers had caught the boy while stealing money and he was handed over to the police. "We never thrashed him. It is a false story," he said.

When contacted, Bathinda SSP Naveen Singla said, "It is a case of theft but I have marked a probe to the SP (investigations), and if allegations of beating up the minor boy are true, a stern action will be taken against the guilty police officials."