CHANDIGARAH, India: Passengers of Sirsa-Patiala Chandigarh bus belonging to the PRTC had a nightmarish journey, thanks to the four police escorts ‘who were allegedly drunk almost. To the point of senselessness, the ‘policemen not only abused the ‘women passengers in the foulest Language but also dragged a boy ‘out at Zirakpur, beat him up and threatened to shoot him, His fault: ‘he was not obeying the “khaki lords” order to maintain silence.
‘The women passengers, including a senior PSEB officer, had earned their wrath because they had threatened to get them medically examined on reaching Chandigarh.
The bus (a new one with “applied for 9” written on it) started from Patiala at 6:40 p.m. According to one of the passengers, the policemen bought the liquor there and all of them sat together on seat numbers 13, 14 and 15 — against regulations,
The obviously high policemen told the passengers to be absolutely quiet because they had to receive wireless messages (they ‘ad no such set). One policeman who reportedly belongs to Banur got down there,.
Jagdish, who was coming from Sirsa to take admission in ‘college here happened to open his mouth. He was dragged out of the bus and bashed up, the protesting passengers, especially women, had to face a volley of choicest Punjabi abuse. When the passengers spoke ‘as one, the policemen beat a strategic retreat — leaving behind a half empty bottle.
Ironically, when the passengers narrated their harrowing experience (0 the officials at the police check post near Daulatsinghwala, they refused to intervene saying that the place where the policemen had got down did not fall in their jurisdiction.
The terrified passengers had no ‘Courage to test whether the threats of the policemen that anyone who ‘complained against them would be “suitably dealt with” were just loud talk. So all they did was to go to The Tribune and narrate the tale.
Some of those who travel on the route regularly said that such police misbehavior was rather routine although it had crossed. all limits.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 18, 1987
