Mob beats cop to death
Mistaken for 'kale kachchhewala'
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

MOGA, Sept 3 — Head Constable Tarsem Singh was beaten to death by an irate mob here this morning.

Mr Kulbir Singh Kang, Deputy Commissioner, has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

Police sources said Tarsem Singh who was under transfer from Treasurer Guard to Badni police station was caught by the people who mistook him for a "kale kachhewala" of Bhona area which falls on the way to Sandhu Pattian, the village of the deceased.

The mob started beating up Tarsem Singh and did not listen to the pleas of the deceased about his real identity. The deceased was tied to the tree with a rope and beaten to death. Even the father of deceased, who reached the spot could not save his son.

After killing the Head Constable, the mob dragged the body to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and tried to burn it with kerosene, police sources added.

Mr Kang, when contacted by TNS on the phone, said when the mob did not listen to the repeated appeals of the district administration for handing over the body to it, the police resorted to a mild lathi charge.

He said about 20 persons had been rounded up by the police and a case would also be registered. He said the law and order situation in the town was under control.

Mr B.K. Garg, SSP, when contacted on the phone said the post mortem of the body had been conducted in the hospital. He said the morale of the police was being boosted by senior officer after this incident.

This is the second incident of killing a person mistaking him for a "kale kachhewala" in this region in the last three days. Earlier, a person was killed on Bholu road by a mob in Faridkot town mistaking him for "kale kachchewala".

There is a fear of the "kale kachchhewala" gang in this region following their strike at Ghal Kalan village in this district where they killed one person and injured nine persons in Dharamkot town of Ferozepore district. The gang killed two persons and injured 11 a few days back.

Following, the terror, the police had started 'thikri pehra' in rural as well as urban areas. The police had also intensified its patrolling during the night.

FATEHGARH SAHIB (FOC): The district police has claimed to have arrested seven members of the "kale kachhewala" gang from the district and recovered weapons, ornaments, other valuables and cash from them.

Addressing a press conference here today Mr Paramraj Singh Dhaliwal, the SSP, said the gang members had admitted that on the night of August 24 they struck at Manupur village and seriously injured Surinder Singh, his wife Nasib Kaur, daughter Amarjit Kaur and their son with iron rods and looted cash and earrings and other articles from the house. The next night on August 25 the gang members attacked the house of Jaspal Singh and robbed the house and injured the family members.

He said the district police launched a special operation under the supervision of Gur Kirpal Singh SP(D). He said the police conducted a raid at railway station Sadhugarh and arrested the gang members who were waiting for train. Those arrested were from UP, Bihar and MP and carried sophisticated tools of breaking into houses.

The gang used to strike chosen victims between 12 midnight and 4 a.m.