‘Fake’ encounter: Family refuses to cremate body

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, December 11

The family of 40-year-old Mohalla Salwara resident, Inderjit Singh, who was killed in an encounter with the Amritsar police in Jandiala on Tuesday, protested here on Friday.

They kept the body of the deceased at Naloiyan Chowk and blocked the road demanding justice for Inderjit. Representatives of many political parties and social organisations also joined them and raised slogans against the Punjab Police.

The police were also present on the spot. As soon as the information about the case was received, senior BJP leader and former Cabinet minister Tikshan Sood reached with his colleagues and expressed grief with the victim’s family. He expressed grief over the incident and said the investigation of Inderjit’s death should be conducted by the CBI and those responsible for his death should be punished severely.

Bahujan Samaj Party’s state convener Bhagwan Singh Chauhan also reached the dharna site with his colleagues and demanded justice for the victim. He said it has been confirmed by the postmortem that Inderjit’s death was caused by the cops’ bullet. He said the government should provide a government job for his widow and Rs50 lakh each to the deceased’s two young children. He demanded that the police officers responsible for this death should be given the harshest punishment. Former Municipal Corporation Mayor Shiv Sood also reached the site and expressed grief.

Shiv Sena district president Javed Khan strongly condemned the police encounter and said there should be a high-level probe in the case and the culprits should be given an exemplary punishment at the earliest.

Babbu Ajjowal, Satish Bawa, Ranjit Singh, Mohinder Pal Saini, Ranjit Singh and a large number of residents of the area and family members were present on the spot.

They declared that the body would be cremated only after the government agrees to their demands.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdish Raj Atri tried to persuade protesters, but they were adamant on not cremating the body unless justice prevailed and demands of compensation and job for his kin were met. Deceased’s brother, Maninder Singh, told mediapersons that Inderjit had come from Dubai, but he could not go back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He has two kids, who are still studying in elementary school.

Later, ADC Harbir Singh reached and tried persuading the protesters but they refused to open the blockade unless their demands were met.

The ADC asked for some time to take up the matter with the higher ups and the Chief Minister’s Office and said the district administration could promise anything only after it.

After this, the protest was postponed for 24 hours (till 2 pm on Saturday) and the traffic jam was lifted and the body was sent to the mortuary.