Shimla May, 10: In an unprecedented move, Superintendent of Police, Solan, Anjum Ara transferred 23 policemen, including SHO Dalip Singh, from Kandaghat to the Police Lines. Officials, including SP Anjuma Ara, IG SZH Zaidi and Additional SP Manmohan Singh, were not available for comments throughout the day.
The transfer list, a copy of which is with The Tribune, included an Assistant Sub-Inspector, five head constables, five honorary head constables (HHCs) and 11 other policemen. Though recommendation of the Police Establishment Committee has been cited as the official reason, the action follows the inept handling of a case where villagers had beaten up Baba Amardev at Rurra village after a 52-year old woman Shanti Devi was attacked with a sword on April 26.
The woman had suffered 22 stitches. Baba is recuperating at the IGMC, Shimla. Baba was constructing Shri Ramlok temple at Rurra village near Sadhupul and this did not go down well with locals. The district police interestingly maintained an eerie silence over the issue ever since the day of its occurrence. With Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh having met Baba Amardev at the IGMC a few days ago, the pressure faced by the district administration was apparent. Deputy Commissioner was directed to ensure that work to carve out a road leading to Baba Amardev’s Shri Ramlok Temple was carried out smoothly.
The police has also been directed to post adequate police posse at the site to avoid any untoward incident as locals have been opposing the temple’s construction. The police today arrested seven villagers who were named in the FIR after their anticipatory bail was cancelled by a local court. Those arrested include a local pradhan and a BJP leader.“DGP Sanjay Kumar, meanwhile, transferred the case to the CID where two teams have been constituted to probe the case,” said DIG, CID, Security, Daljeet Thakur.
Baba Amardev was booked under Section 324 of the IPC for causing grievous hurt to Shanti Devi and in a separate case seven villagers were booked under various sections, including 147, 148, 149 and 323 of the IPC, on a complaint registered against them by the Baba. Two teams will probe the cases. With palpable unease existing in the area, the local administration is treading cautiously. Though the PWD staff are supposed to carve out the road, little work was executed till the evening.
Source Tribune India
