Pb cop, whose hand severed in attack, discharged from hospital; son gets job as constable

Punjab Police Sub-Inspector Harjeet Singh, whose hand was chopped off in a brutal attack by a group of 'Nihangs' in Patiala over a fortnight ago, was discharged from PGIMER here on Thursday following a successful surgery reattaching the severed limb.

Before being discharged from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Punjab Police chief Dinkar Gupta handed over to Singh his son Arshpreet's appointment letter as a constable in the force.

The 50-year-old Singh, who was an assistant sub-inspector of police at the time of the brutal incident, has been promoted to the rank of sub-inspector in recognition of his exemplary courage.

"Happy to share that SI Harjeet Singh has been discharged from PGI, Chandigarh, today. I thank doctors, burses, paramedics and all the staff of PGI for taking good care of him. Before getting discharged, he was handed over his son's appointment letter with Punjab Police," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted.

Harjeet Singh's hand was severed and two of his Punjab Police colleagues injured in Patiala district on April 12 when a group of 'Nihangs' (a sect of Sikhism whose members are armed with traditional weapons and dressed in loose blue robes) allegedly attacked them with swords after being asked to show curfew passes outside a wholesale vegetable market.

That day itself, doctors reattached his hand following a seven-and-half-hour-long surgery.

Medics at the PGIMER expect that Harjeet Singh will be able use his reattached hand in five to six months.

"The hand is completely surviving. Movement of fingers of the affected hand is a good sign. The quantum and frequency of physiotherapy will be gradually stepped up over the next few weeks," PGIMER said in a release.

His wounds are well healed and all the sutures have been removed, it said.

The Punjab Police gave a red-carpet welcome to Harjeet Singh upon his return home at Darshan Singh Nagar in Patiala, an official said.

DGP Dinkar Gupta tweeted, "Felt greatly pleased handing over the appointment letter of SI Harjeet Singh's son, Arshpreet Singh, as a constable in the Punjab Police. Am sure he will serve the people of Punjab as bravely and sincerely as his father. Wish him all the very best!"