JALANDHAR: Indian police arrested two Magistrates S.S.Bains and Kulbur Singh here early this week while it thrashed workers of the C, P.I. at Bathinda.
Bains is an executive magistrate posted at Jalandhar while Kulbir Singh is district transport officer. The police case against them was that they were involved in preparing fake ownership documents of private vehicles along with their subordinate staff. But the Punjab P.C:S. (Executive Branch) officers Association has termed these charges as false and has described the police action as vindictive. It may be recalled that the police produced detainees in connection with the militant movement before these magistrates under the antiterrorist law. Sometimes, the police demanded remand without producing the detainees before the magistrates, the association said that the police aim was to demoralize the magistracy as a whole; Both were arrested at midnight from their residence even while they had met the district police chief during the day. Kulbir Singh was later released on the order of Punjab and Haryana high court which sat for the purpose even on a holiday.
Bathinda was the scene of interesting developments. Hundreds of CPI and CP (M) workers staged rallies and offered themselves for arrest. The protests were against registration of false cases and torture of certain trade union leaders headed by Makhan Singh.
‘The CPI leaders alleged police lathi charges on CPI workers at several places. The leaders, who backed the Indian police all these years and pleaded for greater powers to them in their fight Against Sikhs, were heard raising antipolice slogans. One of the CPl leaders Beant Singh Brar ‘Was even raising the slogan of hanging police officers. Punjab CPI ‘Secretary Avtar Singh Malhotra reached the spot and demanded withdrawal of special powers given to the police. But the supporters of the police, Satpal Dang and Jagjit Singh Anand, did not reach there.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 13, 1993
