Punjab: 3 cops, home guard jawan dismissed for not intervening as SI attacked during raid

Three policemen and a home guard jawan were dismissed on Saturday for failing to intervene as their team leader, a sub-inspector, was brutally assaulted during a raid at the house of an alleged drug peddler in Amritsar, officials said.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Baldev Singh's team had gone to raid the house of one Amandeep Singh in Amritsar's Chogawan village on Friday, the police said.

During the raid, the officer was badly thrashed by some people, they said.

In a video of the assault, which has gone viral on social media, the SI's colleagues are seen just standing there.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the attack on the SI, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered immediate dismissal of the police personnel who accompanied the officer and did nothing to save him, an official release said.

The chief minister took serious note of the fact that the policemen accompanying the SI simply looked on while their leader was being severely beaten, it said.

"This act of cowardly behaviour is unacceptable in a uniformed force," the release quoted Amarinder Singh as saying.

Acting on the chief minister's orders, Director General of Punjab Police Dinkar Gupta ordered an inquiry into the role of the police party which had accompanied SI Baldev Singh of Kacha Pacca police station in Tarn Taran, the release stated.

Based on the inquiry report, Assistant SI Sawinder Singh, Head Constable Gurvinder Singh, Constable Nishan Singh and home guard jawan Darshan Singh were dismissed from service for inaction and dereliction of duty, it said.

The video of the incident shows Baldev Singh being thrashed by the accused after bolting the gate of the house from inside. His turban is tossed, his uniform is torn and his weapon is snatched by the accused.

DGP Gupta said 30 people have been booked in connection with the assault and five have been arrested.

Those arrested have been identified as Shamsher Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Dilbagh Singh and Sarmel Singh -- all residents of Chogawan, and Shubh -- a native of Tapiala village, he said.

Raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused, who were led by drug supplier Amandeep Singh and his brother Gagandeep Singh, Gupta said.

Strong and exemplary action will be taken against the drug suppliers and every single person who dared to attack the police party, he added.

All the 30 accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 307 (attempt to murder), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), and the IT Act, the DGP said.

He said the police party had gone to conduct the raid in connection with a case wherein 152 grams of heroin was seized by Tarn Taran police on September 10.