Ludhiana Taxi Driver Ranjodh Singh Beaten After Dispute Following Collision Between His Taxi and a Car; 4 Police Personnel Suspended in the Assault Case.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): In Ludhiana, on the night of January 26 (Republic Day), near Old Session Court Chowk, taxi driver Ranjodh Singh (age 28, resident of Chandra Nagar) had a collision between his taxi and a car (reportedly belonging to a journalist from a national channel). After the incident, Ranjodh agreed to compensate for the damage, but the occupants of the car stopped him, abused him verbally, and attempted to remove or tear off the sticker/photo of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on his taxi. They also hurled abuses at the taxi driver, made remarks hurting religious sentiments, called additional companions to the spot, and assaulted Ranjodh on the spot.
According to Ranjodh Singh, immediately after the incident, the police were called, and they took him into custody and brought him to Kailash Nagar Police Post (or Chowki, linked to Division No. 8). There, he alleges he was subjected to brutal beating and physical torture; the victim claims his nails were pulled out with pliers.
According to the victim, all of this happened because of the photo of Bhindranwale on his taxi. The police accused him of being under the influence of alcohol and conducted a medical examination. At night, he was kept in the lock-up, where he was handcuffed in the cold and forced to sign blank papers.
On January 27, Ranjodh was released. He accused the police of beating and torturing him at the Civil Hospital, after which he was taken back to the police station.
ACP Gurikbal Singh
In this case, the ACP Gurikbal Singh of Civil Lines stated that on the night of January 26, someone called saying there was a dispute with a taxi driver under the influence of intoxicants, after which the accused (Ranjodh) was taken to the police station. During this, Ranjodh allegedly attempted suicide, leading to a scuffle, and his medical report confirmed alcohol consumption. However, the victim and his family reject these allegations and insist that it all happened because of the Bhindranwale photo.
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After photos of the victim’s injuries went viral on social media, anger spread against the accused police officers. On January 30, Sikh organizations along with the victim’s family members staged a protest at Bharat Nagar Chowk, blocking the chowk for 4 hours. This caused traffic to come to a standstill, and the matter escalated further. The protesters demanded justice in the case.
In this matter, the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, spoke with Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma and demanded action against the accused police personnel. Following this, Ludhiana Police registered two cases under various sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and suspended 4 personnel. Cases have also been registered against 2-3 other individuals for assault and inciting religious sentiments.