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Patiala policeman slaps, abuses ‘pickpocket’, her child
Aman Sood/TNS

How it happened A woman travelling in a shared autorickshaw found her purse open and money missing from it on Wednesday evening near the Patiala bus stand She alleged that her co-passenger, a woman carrying an infant, had stolen the money and called up the police Head Constable and two others reached the spot He slapped the accused while two others hurled abuses at her before taking her away in a police vehicle

Patiala, January 10
A woman carrying an infant was repeatedly slapped by a policeman in full public view in Patiala after she was accused of stealing money from her co-passenger on Wednesday evening. A video recording of the incident available with The Tribune shows that her child was also hit in the melee.

The woman was bundled into a police vehicle and taken away from the spot and could not be traced as no case or daily diary report was registered. The police claim the woman and her child were not taken to the police station but released some distance from the crime spot as no complaint was received.

Punjab Chief Minister PS Badal had recently issued orders asking policemen to respect women and children and said women suspects could only by arrested by female officers.

The incident took place last evening near the bus stand when a woman travelling in a shared autorickshaw found her purse open and money missing from it. She alleged that her co-passenger, a woman carrying an infant, had stolen the money and called up the police. Eyewitnesses said the money was recovered from the alleged pickpocket.

After almost half an hour, a three-member all-men Patiala Police team led by ASI Vasu Dev and comprising Head Constable Lakhwinder Singh and another unidentified cop reached the spot. They asked the alleged pickpocket, who was apologising for her conduct, to accompany them to the police station. Then Head Constable Lakhwinder Singh started slapping her while the two others hurled the choicest of abuses at her.

The child was also hit in the melee and cried profusely even as the men in khaki packed the alleged pickpocket and her child into a police vehicle.

Patiala SP Daljit Singh Rana said he had seen the video and Head Constable Lakhwinder Singh (who slapped the woman repeatedly) had been sent to the Police Lines. “We have ordered a departmental probe against the policeman”, he said.

Kotwali SHO Sukhamrit Singh Randhawa said the woman was not brought to the police station, but could not elaborate how she was let-off when the complainant did not reach the police station. He said the role of the others was under the scanner.

The police neither have a compromise letter from the women nor are able to explain where the accused is. “She (the alleged pickpocket) was let off. Women like her do not have addresses, but we will look into the matter,” Rana said.