Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Nov 4: Irate residents of village Birpur today held a protest demonstration against police excesses, in which six persons received injuries and were hospitalized.
The people of village Birpur led by Sarpanch Gautam Singh held a protest demonstration against the Police Department, demanding immediate action against the police cops from Channi Himmat police station, who beat up innocent people without any fault on the occasion of Diwali festival yesterday.
The protestors raised slogans against the Police Department and demanded suspension of the police cops behind the incident.
While speaking, Gautam Singh alleged that on the occasion of Diwali, police party from Channi Himmat police station in civil uniform visited Birpur village and started beating innocent people alleging their involvement in gambling. In the incident, seven persons were injured and were hospitalized, he added.
Singh demanded immediate action against the cops behind the incident vis-à-vis their suspension.
However, when contacted SS Samyal, SDPO East told Excelsior that a police party went to village to arrest an absconder and there was some tiff with the locals there over some minor issue, which he resolved after visiting the spot.
As per sources on the occasion of Diwali, a police party from Channi Himmat police station in civil uniform crossed its jurisdiction and beat the people in the village Birpur, falling under the jurisdiction of Bari Barahamana police station in district Samba, sources said.
In the incident, six persons were injured including shopkeeper Ashok Singh who has received shoulder injury, Pitamber Singh received head injury and Surjit Singh suffered nose injury, sources said, adding that cops also snatched money, watches and mobiles from the people.
The injured were rushed to hospital, where after treatment all were discharged, except Balwinder Singh, who has been rushed to Amritsar for bone fracture treatment.
As the news of the police excesses spread, people came out of their houses and held protest against the Police Department, sources said, adding that sensing the situation turning violent, police cops involved in the offence fled from the spot.
On getting information about the incident, police party headed by SS Samyal, SDPO East rushed to the spot and assured the people that action will be taken against the cops, whose involvement will surface in the incident, sources informed.
Reports said that five police personnel from Channi Himmat police station—three in uniform and two in civil had gone to Birpur crossing their jurisdiction. They had gone in two cars. As a large number of people gathered on the spot, three cops fled away taking two persons with them. The people held two cops hostage in a house.
Following protests, the police officers intervened and a formula was worked out with cops releasing the civilians and the people freeing the police personnel, reports said.
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