Panchkula, April 6
Unnerved by the "help" provided to the Himachal Indian National Trade Union Congress chief, Amarjit Bawa by the Himachal police, allegedly at the instance of Congress government in Himachal, the Panchkula police has booked six Himachal cops for securing the release of an accused from police confinement, criminal conspiracy and intimidating the police.
A case under sections 341, 342, 332, 353, 222, 223, 224, 225, 506, 109 and 120-B of IPC has been registered against Station House Officer, Shimla Sadar, Mr Jagdish Chand Sharma, Station House Officer, Dharampur, Mr Surinder Pal, ASI Rattan Chand, Head Constable Anil Kumar and constable Tarsem and MHC Ram Lal on charges of freeing Amarjit Bawa from the custody of the Kalka police on April 4.
The case was registered this evening after the police had first sought legal opinion on the matter. Though no arrests have been made, the police say that they will conduct raids to arrest the erring cops, who had claimed to have acted on the directions of the powers that be in Himachal Pradesh, once the investigations into the case were over. A Deputy Superintendent of Police here has been assigned the task of conducting investigations into the incidents that took place on April 4 at Parwanoo.
Mr Amarjit Bawa is wanted in over 10 cases by Panchkula
police, on charges ranging from assault to criminal intimidation and extortion. Mr Bawa, say the Panchkula police, is involved in land grabbing in Pinjore and Kalka in Panchkula, and Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh. It was in connection with an FIR registered in Kalka in December 2002 against Bawa and five others, that a police party led by SHO, Kalka, Mr Angrej Singh, had arrested Bawa from Lakkar Bazaar, Simla on April 4.
The police say though Mr Bawa's arrest in this case, registered on the complaint of Lakshmi and Gopal of Kalka on charges of rioting, assault and intimidation, had been stayed by the high court, he was asked to join investigations. However, he was avoiding this in spite of repeated reminders by the Kalka police.
When the Kalka police received information of Mr Bawa being in Shimla, a police party rushed there and was bringing him to Kalka, when they were stalled by the Parwanoo police. The Parwanoo police had allegedly laid a naka for the Panchkula police party and as they reached Parwanoo, they were not allowed to cross Himachal border.
In the meantime, the SHO Sadar, Simla, Mr Jagdish Chand and his men also arrived in Parwanoo and the Panchkula police party was detained for almost four hours. The Himachal police let off the Kalka police only after Amarjit was freed from their custody.
The Kalka police had called up Superintendent of Police, Panchkula, Mr. Ranbir Singh Sharma, who had sent DSP, Rajesh Duggal to Parwanoo to secure the release of Kalka cops.
