Nangal Ambiyan case: Accused beaten up in jail, alleges lawyer
Jalandhar, August 3
A fortnight after the death of a prisoner in a gang war at the Modern Jail, Kapurthala, an accused in the high-profile Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan case has now been allegedly attacked inside the jail as per a petition filed by his advocate. As per the petition, Harinder Singh Fauji, accused in the Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan case was attacked and beaten up by some men on the night of July 31, inside the Kapurthala Jail.
Additonal Sessions Judge, Jalandhar, KK Jain, has sought a status report in the matter. The next date of hearing in the case is on August 7.
Harinder Singh Fauji had been arrested by the Nakodar Sadar police in Jalandhar in an FIR filed on March 14, 2022 in the Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan case under Sections 302, 307, 148, 149, 120-B, 212 and 216 of IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.
The accused Fauji’s lawyer Mandeep Sanger had filed a writ petition on the issue on August 1, 2023. In the petition, Sanger stated that Harwinder Singh alias Harinder Singh alias Fauji, who is lodged as a prisoner in Security Ward “B” of the jail with the other inmates, was attacked by “jail staff” in civil dress on the night of July 31.
The petition alleges that Fauji was asleep with other jail inmates at about 12.15 am when the “jail staff” came to the security ward and awakened all the inmates, saying that a search was to be conducted. One of the officials who was in civil dress, asked the applicant, “You are Fauji, accused in Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan case” and gave him a tight slap in front of the CCTV cameras and then took the applicant away from the security ward. The “jail staff” started beating up the applicant with wooden batons on his shoulders, calves, thighs and arms.” The petition also alleges that despite repeated requests to the jail authorities, the applicant (Fauji) was not permitted to take medical aid.
The petition demands that, “directions may kindly be given to constitute a Medical Board of doctors for conducting medico-legal report and seeking opinion regarding custodial torture in jail.” Additional Superintendent, Kapurthala Jail, Hemant Sharma, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
