An Army jawan has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court after he was allegedly stripped and slapped at a police station in Chandigarh when he went there to meet his estranged wife.
The jawan’s Commanding Officer wrote to the Chandigrah police chief saying the incident “filled him with rage.” On a petition filed by Naik Arvinder Singh, the high court has issued notices to the Chandigarh Police and others and directed that the CCTV footage of the police station be preserved. It listed the matter for February 21.
Singh’s Commanding Officer from 10 Corps Signals Regiment also wrote to the Chandigarh DGP, claiming that the incident caused the serving soldier severe mental trauma. The incident “filled him with rage” because of the insult it brought upon not only the individual, but the Indian Army as a whole, the CO wrote seeking an inquiry into the incident.
In his petition, Naik Arvinder Singh, who was posted in Bathinda, submitted that he was married to one Manpreet Kaur, who was posted as a constable in the Chandigarh Police. The couple has a 7-year old son and is estranged. On November 12 last year, the petitioner came to Mohali in Mullanpur Garibdas area to meet his son where he lives with his mother.
Singh submitted that a sub-inspector from came there and took him to the Mullanpur Garibdas Police Station, where he insulted and threatened him. His wife told him if he wanted to meet his son, then he needed come to the police station in Sector 11.
According to his complaint, the soldier was threatened with an FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act. He said he was forced to sign blank papers and asked to take off his clothes at the behest of the station house officer of the Sector 11 Police Station. When he protested, he was beaten up and his turban came off, he said. He said police also recorded a video of him naked and told him to stay away from his wife and son or else they will upload the video online. Singh submitted that he had written to the Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police to take action in the matter but nothing came out of it.
He was forced to approach his CO, who then wrote to the Chandigarh Director General of Police on January 3. The CO in his letter wrote that the incident brought out the “apathy, corruption and vagabond” attitude of the state police which claims to have a motto of “We Care For You.” He added, “It is pertinent to mention that we as Indian Army Officers believe in the law wholeheartedly and that is the reason why I as the commanding officer am seeking justice for the soldier under my command through the official channel and not being vagabond myself.”
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