Kapurthala, May 4
In a case of human rights violation, an injured India-born US national’s hands were tied with an iron chain in the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital at Sultanpur Lodhi for two days.
A team of mediapersons from Kapurthala today met the US national, Birend Gupta (25).
A resident of New York, Gupta visited India thrice to meet his girlfriend and persuade her parents to marry her to him.
He told mediapersons that he met the girl in June, 2001, when she visited the USA on a tourist visa and both fell in love and decided to marry. After staying in the USA for six months, the girl returned to India and both were in touch with each other on the telephone.
Gupta came to India in January, 2002, and stayed with the girl’s parents at Sultanpur Lodhi for three days and returned to the USA after the parents assured him to marry their daughter to him.
Gupta said after his second visit to India, the parents of his beloved cut the telephone connection of their house and informed him that their daughter had been married to a man of her choice.
He contacted the girl on the cellphone and came to know the truth. He came to India two days ago and went to the girl’s house. The girl’s parents and their relatives allegedly beat him up with lathis. He sustained head injuries and was taken by a police party to the hospital, where he is under treatment.
The police has registered a case of trespass against the US national under Sections 323, 452 and 506 of the IPC. When mediapersons visited the hospital, two policemen were guarding him.
On the other hand, Naval Kishore, the father of the girl, and one of his relatives, who were also admitted to the hospital, told mediapersons that Gupta had attacked them.
Mr Kulwinder Singh, DSP, and Mr Ram Dutt, SHO, when asked why Gupta had been chained in the hospital, justified it by alleging that he had tried to flee.
The district police chief, Mr R.N. Dhoke, condemned the behaviour of the police and ordered the suspension of Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh, who is investigating the case.
Head Constable Gurbhej Singh and SHO Ram Dutt have been transferred to the Police Lines. The police chief said DSP Kulwinder Singh would be issued a warning for chaining the US national.
