PATIALA: A mid-night telephone call from the boss made all the difference as far as freeing from police custody of several members of the Patiala save committee including its President Bir Devinder Singh is concemed.

Bir Devinder Singh and other members of the committee were arrested when they made the attempt to stage a dharma in front of the local municipal committee to Seek better civic amenities for the Local citizens. But in a most dramatic manner they were released around midnight despite the fact that a case under Sections of the IPC was registered against them and they Should have been produced in the court of the Judicial Magistrate as per of the provisions of the law.

According to informed sources a telephone call from Bhopal where the Punjab Police Chief K.P.S.Gill performed the miracle of freeing Bir Devinder Singh and others. According to sources when the telephone-call from the boss was received here by police officials they immediately changed their color Bir Devinder Singh who Hights from his arrest in the morning was given allegedly a shabby treatment by police officials within no time turned a VIP guest for them in the civil police lines here. Cold drinks were arranged for him although earlier he was not given food to eat and people were not allowed to meet him.

After consoling him for what happened during the day senior police officers told him that he was no more a criminal for them and they wanted to drop him at his residence But Bir Devinder Singh insisted that till other members of the committee were released he would not move out from the police station. Following this senior police officers consulted their superiors and finally all members were released around mid-night.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 1, 1994