High drama took place outside the police commissioner’s office after a couple, who was allegedly being harassed by a cop, poured petrol on themselves and threatened self-immolation on Thursday morning.
The aggrieved couple, Gurpreet Singh and his wife Simran Kaur of Boothgarh village, said a police personnel had been pressuring them to pay ₹1.5 lakh to one Raghbir Singh, to avoid being put behind bars on trumped up charges.
In his complaint, Gurpreet Singh, who runs an egg and chicken shop, alleged that in December 2021 Raghbir Singh and his aides had barged into his house and thrashed him and his wife, after a disagreement. He said he had also filed a complaint against Raghbir Singh at the Mattewara police post, but to no avail.
“Two days later, Raghbir Singh filed a complaint against me at the Mattewara police station, alleging that I had intercepted his way and thrashed him. A police personnel has been threatening to arrest me for assault ever since. The cop asked me to pay ₹1.5 lakh to Raghbir Singh, otherwise he will book me on serious charges. We have no other option, except ending our lives,” he said.
The couple was pacified and taken to the office of joint commissioner of police (JCP, rural) Ravcharan Singh Brar, who marked a probe to sub-inspector Harpreet Singh Dehal, station house officer, Meharban police station.
The SHO said Gurpreet and Raghbir had been in a scuffle, and both of them had suffered injuries. “Gurpreet Singh is using these pressure tactics to avoid being charged. No police personnel had sought money from him. Raghbir Singh had demanded ₹1.50 lakh from him to settle the matter.”
The SHO said appropriate action will be taken after probing the case.
