Vernacular journalist assaulted, suffers multiple fractures

Romesh Bahl, a vernacular journalist, suffered multiple fractures after being assaulted by miscreants here on Saturday.

The incident has come under criticism from politicians of opposition parties with almost all of them demanding the immediate arrest of Batala AAP MLA Sherry Kalsi “for his role in the episode.”

Bahl has been admitted to a private hospital. Doctors said he had suffered multiple fractures on both his legs and arms.

SSP Suhail Qasim Mir claimed the cops had identified the attackers. “We will be arresting the accused soon,” he said.

In a statement from his hospital bed, Bahl claimed that he had identified one of the attackers as Manek Mehta, a close aide of Batala AAP MLA Sherry Kalsi.

Kalsi, however, denied the allegations. “I distance myself from the incident. I have nothing to do with the attack,” he said.

Bahl had a steady stream of visitors since early morning. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa said there was a complete breakdown of the law-and-order machinery in the city. “I fail to understand the role of the police. Why are officers not investigating the role of the MLA? He needs to be investigated because Bahl has been repeatedly taking the name of one of his close aides as one of the attackers. It is an open secret that Bahl had been running stories against the MLA which had angered him. This is a serious matter and needs to be thoroughly investigated,” he said. Partap, who along with Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra, had reached the hospital in the morning.

MP Randhawa said, “What was holding the police back from registering an FIR against the MLA? The cops, the MLA and his goons are hand in glove with each other. The law-and- order situation in this city is a total mess. Grave injustice is being done to Romesh Bahl. It is high time cops wake up from their slumber and arrest the accused.”

Congressmen of the city were quick to release photos of AAP leaders, including Manek Mehta, sitting on chairs meant for government officials in the local Municipal Corporation.

Prominent among the leaders who visited the hospital were Batala Mayor Sukhdeep Singh Teja, Municipal Councillor Harinder Singh, Congress block president Sanjeev Sharma, Congress leader Amandeep Jantipur and social activist Jagjot Singh Sandhu.

Meanwhile, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema in a tweet said, “I strongly condemn the attack on Romesh Bahl who has been hospitalised in a serious condition. I hope the Punjab CMm DGP and judiciary will listen to the shocking revelations made by Bahl and take strict action against the culprits.”