Amritsar, May 14 –Â The family members of Bikramjit Singh, a jail inmate, along with a large number of their supporters today staged a protest at the busy Bhandari Bridge, connecting the old walled with the rest of the city. Due to this, traffic remained suspended for over two hours at Elevated road while the city witnessed severe traffic jams near the bus stand, Hukum Singh road, railway overbridge, Rambagh and the Hall Gate area.
Bikramjit’s family was demanding the dismissal and immediate arrest of accused cops, including tainted police Inspector Naurang Singh, allegedly involved in Bikramjit’s kidnapping and his subsequent disappearance. He was allegedly kidnapped by a police party belonging to the counter-intelligence wing from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) around a week ago. He was undergoing treatment for an orthopaedic problem.
Senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Virsa Singh Valtoha and SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann were among others who were present during the protest and expressed their solidarity with the family. A huge number of supporters reached the Bhandari Bridge at around 10.15 am and the protest dharna continued for over two hours. They raised slogans against the Police Department and warned that if Bikramjit was not traced by tomorrow, they would intensify the agitation and block GT Road.
Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh himself came to the spot and assured the family members of Bikramjit that Inspector Naurang Singh would be arrested soon. He said an SIT had been formed in this connection, adding that strict action would be taken against the police officials who were found involved in the kidnapping of Bikramjit. “No one would be spared irrespective of his rank or position, if found guilty,” he said.
Chawla lashed out at the government and the Police Department particularly which deputed a tainted Inspector in an important wing. She alleged that a number of criminal cases were registered against Inspector Naurang Singh in the past but he continued to serve in the department due to political patronage.
Valtoha said that he was with the aggrieved family in their difficult hour and would support whatever agitation they would launch to lodge their protest. He demanded the dismissal of the accused cops involved in the incident.
Mann also expressed his sympathies with the aggrieved family and alleged that the tainted police officials were being sheltered by the political leaders for their vested interests. There was total lawlessness in the city as no woman felt safe in the city.
The family members of Bikramjit while suspecting his murder have filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court which has summoned the DGP, the Punjab Home Secretary, the City Police Commissioner besides several others on May 19.