Amritsar, December 20
The whistleblower BSF constable of 77 Battalion, Mr S.C. Gautam, who had highlighted “corruption and serious irregularities,” including cutting of forest along the Pakistan border, was “severely beaten up” after he was taken into custody, allegedly at the behest of senior officers.

Though family members of Mr Gautam, including his wife Renu, alleged that he had been “missing” since December 10, the DIG, Mr Anupam Kumar Sarolia, said he was awarded punishment for “indiscipline”.

Mr Gautam had taken pictures of trees being felled and misuse of cooking gas by the force and sent these to the higher authorities. Earlier, too, he had been punished by the BSF authorities for creating a ruckus. However, the DIG said he was taken into custody following complaints of “misbehaviour”. He alleged that Mr Gautam had tried to interfere in the working of the BSF.

Renu said the whereabouts of her husband were not known. She said when he did not return home for two days she thought that he might have been assigned some duty. When he did not return on the third day, his family got worried. However, the DIG said Renu had been told that he was in their custody. She was not allowed to meet her husband when she visited the office but she had been told that he was safe.

Earlier, Mr Gautam had lodged complaints against an Assistant Commandant and some others for allegedly hatching a conspiracy against him and punishing him without any reason.

Renu, while talking to The Tribune, alleged that she had been trying to meet the IG and the DIG, but she had not been given an audience so far. She said she had met the Commandant of the battalion but he had been reluctant to say anything.