PATIALA: Following a detailed inquiry, the state police have re-initiated action in a 2009 FIR registered against four superintendents of police and two others, for torturing a patwari (revenue official) by registering a false case against him.
The action comes after complainant patwari Mohan Singh Bhedpur moved a plea before the new government in Punjab to re-investigate the matter since the department had given these cops a clean chit. It is learnt that the false case was registered against Bhedpur for demanding a fee of Rs 20 from one of the cops for furnishing details of his land records.
Fresh charges have been filed against the four SSPs, including the controversial cop Shiv Kumar Sharma, who son was recently convicted in the Rs 3.7 crore Phillour diamond heist. The other SSPs include Surinderpal Singh Virk, Jaspal Singh and S S Grewal.
According to the complainant, he had been picked up by the cops at the behest of SSP Sharma and tortured in police custody as he had demanded a government fee of Rs 20 from Sharma for providing him with the land records of his property in Rurki village in
Fatehgarh Sahib. He had alleged that Sharma had even asked a constable to sodomize him in police custody and film the act.
After Bhedpur filed an application with the state government recently, the government ordered a probe which was conducted by IG Ferozepur Gurwinder Singh Dhillon, who put on record that clean chit to the officials was given on flimsy grounds. He also ordered action against IO Raghbir Singh Sandhu, who had given clean chit. Besides, additional charges under Sections 377, 511, 211, 295-A, 120 B have now been incorporated in the FIR that was registered in 2012. The cops also carried out raids at various houses owned by Shiv Kumar Sharma, who, however, managed to elude arrest.
Dhillon said there was sufficient evidence on record to prove the guilt of these officials and therefore the action was being taken against them.
Earlier, IAS officer K S Pannu had also conducted a probe into the allegations made by the patwari and had indicted six police officials in the case.
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