PATIALA: Another police excess case has come to light in Patiala where it has been alleged that a small tea shop owner Amarjit Singh has been tortured to death by police.
When this reporter visited the residence of Amarjit Singh he found his wife Sarbjit Kaur in a traumatic condition with her four month old son still waiting for her husband to come with moist eyes despite the fact that she is fully aware that her husband is no more in this world. Amarjit Singh 30 whose father is suffering from paralyses use to run a small tea shop with the help of his aged mother in front the Civil Lines police station. The relatives of Amarjit Singh allege that he was tortured by the police the police afier seeing his condition admitted Amarjit Singh in the local Rajindra Hospital saying that was an accident case.
Gumam Singh a cousin Amarjit Singh has alleged that the reader of a local DSP is responsible for the entire case leading t¢ the death of Amarjit Singh.
He said that on February 15 the reader of the DSP called Amarjit Singh to his office which is situated in the SSP office complex to sort out come problem related to some lending of money When Amarjit Singh reached the readers office along with his brother. The constable on duty asked Amarjit brother to go back saying there was no need for his being present there. He further alleged that they were unaware of what transpired after that.
One of Amarjit brother who is an auto-rickshaw driver said that he saw a police Gypsy going towards the Rajindra Hospital with Amarjit lying on the rear seat. After this Amarjit brother went to the hospital to find that Amarjit was in a semi-conscious condition and was not in a position to talk.
On seeing the pathetic condition of Amarjit Singh one of his brothers went to the residence of the reader to enquire about the reality but the reader could not give him reatisfactory reply. It was only the hospital that Amar Singhs relatives came to know doctors.
The board of doctors after conducting the postmortem sent (he organs for chemical examination the police have said that the death of Amarjit Singh was due [0 the consumption of some poisonous substance.
When contacted by reporters the DSP (City) said that apart from the fact that Amarjit Singh was permanent drug addict the reader of the DSP had helped Amarjit Singh procure some money from a third party which in due course of time Amarjit Singh could not pay back
Giving details to the press DSP A. S. Kalka said that when the reader had summoned Amarjit Singh to his office Amarjit Singh was fully under the influence of drugs and collapsed in the reader’s office the police out of sheer sympathy admitted Amarjit Singh to the hospital. He also said that if any police official would be found guilty he will not be spared.
The relatives of Amarjit Singh and the residents of Tripurati Township have demanded a high level enquiry.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 4, 1994
