PATIALA: Angry residents of many villages falling under Lalru Police station in Rajpura sub-division recently gheraoed the Lairu Police station in protest against death of Harijan boy, Baljit Ram of Kasoli village, in police custody.

The villagers have alleged that police had beaten the boy to death. He was in the custody of Lalru police since July 11. It is learnt that Baljit Ram, who was named in an FIR related to the abduction of a Brahmin girl by certain Harijan youth had surrendered before the DSP, Rajpura in the presence of some citizens, including Sani Dass, a retired commissioner from Haryana. The DSP had sent him to Lalru police station.

According to police sources, Baljit Ram was admitted to the Mission Hospital at Ambala where he died after a few hours. Though the police maintained that Baljit Ram had died due to certain chronic illness, the unofficial sources revealed that the boy was tortured by the police was evident from facts.

It is learnt that abduction of girl had occurred in the first week of April 1992 and the parents of the girl had named six youth of village Khasoli in the FIR. The name of Baljit Ram was one of them. He was an employee of the Punjab agriculture department posted at the office of the Chief agriculture officer, Patiala, It is learnt that police had started conducting raids at the residence of Baljit Ram who, however, on many occasions, escaped arrest by police.

Queries made by ENS revealed that the parents of Baljit Ram had made a complaint to the higher police authorities about the harassment of their ward by local police. On the basis of representation of parents, the IG (internal vigilance), in May, conducted an enquiry and reportedly found Baljit Ram innocent. It has been alleged that despite the report of the IG, the police continued to harass the boy. Again, the IG wrote to the SSP, Patiala not to harass Baljit but the police did not pay heed.

The parents of Baljit Ram, for the third time, met the IG on July 9, 1992 and complained about police harassment. The 1G assured them to look into the matter. Baljit was presented before the DSP, Rajpura on July 11. In the meantime, sources said, the IG had again intervened to rescue the boy. The parents of the boy had also tried to seek release of their son through court but did not succeed. It has been alleged by parents of the deceased that the police had tortured Baljit to death in retaliation for proceeding against the police. The parents of Baljit are reported to have made these allegations in the presence of civil authorities of Rajpura.

Article extracted from this publication >>