MEERUT: Six policemen including station officer of Titron police station in Saharanpur were caught unawares when villagers surrounded them in a
Shamli playground where the team had gone to arrest one Randhawa Singh, 40, an accused in a robbery in the neighbouring district.
Singh was playing cricket there at that time. The incident occurred on Thursday evening in Alauddin village under
Jhinjhana police station of Shamli. The moment the police team started returning to Saharanpur, hundreds of villagers armed with sticks and stones surrounded them and pelted them with stones, injuring all six policemen. The mob even managed to take away Randhawa with them.
The police vehicle was also badly damaged in the attack. However, someone alerted Jhinjhana police, who reached the spot and rescued the Saharanpur cops. On Friday, Jhinjhiana police filed a case against 200 unidentified people and plans are underway to begin arrests.
Narender Solanki, inspector at Titron police station said, “Randhawa was involved in a dacoity committed in 2016 in
Sadar Bazar area of Saharanpur and had been absconding ever since. Last week, a chargesheet was filed against him and that is why Saharanpur police had gone to the Shamli village to arrest him, when the team was attacked.”
Dr Amit Kumar at the government hospital in Jhinjhana said, “Four persons were admitted to the hospital, of which the SHO of Titron police station,
Arun Kumar, received the most number of injuries, including a wound on the head.”
Randhawa’s sister Puja said, “A few men out of which two were in police uniform had suddenly arrived at the playground and forcibly took my brother away. There is no case against him. When we protested, they started beating us, which infuriated the villagers.”
According to police sources, an FIR has been filed against 200 unidentified people under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 146 (rioting), among others.
(Representative image)