SC COMMISSION initiates action in manhandling case of Head Constable in Punjab Vidhan Sabha

Chandigarh, March 20, 2013: The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes today initiated the action on a complaint regarding assault of Head Constable Jai Pal belonging to Scheduled Castes Community by Congress MLAs, who insulted him with casteist remarks on March 13, 2013 as victim and his commandant today appeared before the Commission to record their statements.

Rajesh Bagha, Chairman, Commission for Scheduled Castes accompanied by Parkash Singh Gardhiwala, Member of Commission, informed that the victim Jai Pal appeared before the commission and recorded the whole sequence of events leading to his assault and deliberate attempt of MLAs to denigrate him before whole media.

The Chairman said that in his detailed statement given to the Commission, the victim disclosed that he was deployed on duty in the premises of Vidhan Sabha on March 13, 2013 and the on duty police had been informed that a girl entered the Vidhan Sabha in an unauthorised manner. He said that when he was discharging his duties on his duty point in front of CLP Office, some MLAs came  charging towards him and started his manhandling in full public view. Jai Pal also alleged that Congress MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sukhjinder Singh, Jagmohan Singh Kang and Parminder Singh Pinky were running behind the policemen discharging their duties in the lounge of Vidhan Sabha.

Jai Pal also added that meanwhile, these MLAs caught him up and started his thrashing. He said that these MLAs also questioned him about  his identity and my caste. The victim said that when I told them that he belonged to a poor downtrodden family and was from Scheduled Castes community, they snatched my identity card. On knowing my caste, they asked me that how dare you come here and made mockery of me ridiculing me with caster ridden remarks.  

According to Jai Ram, he had managed to escape from them and reached to his duty point but when after a short while he went to Congress MLAs for the recovery of his identity card but to no avail since the Congress MLAs were still abusing him. The victim said that on intervention of Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Congress MLA, they released him.  

Pleading a strict action against the erring Congress MLAs, Jai Pal requested the Commission to initiate stern action in a stipulated timeframe and ensure the delivery of justice against the injustice committed by Congress MLAs. He also pleaded for security to him and his family as he feared threat from MLAs, who assaulted him.

Meanwhile the Commission also recorded the statement of Commandant 3rd Battalion, Mohali Sukhwant Singh Gill, whose duty was to check internal security of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Bagha, Chairman of the Commission, assured the victim that every possible legal remedies would be taken to ensure the delivery of justice to the aggrieved.