Residents of Babuwal village in the Majitha area staged a protest on Tuesday following the death of a 65-year-old Nihang Sikh on Tahli Sahib Road, alleging that Punjab Police personnel assaulted him during a raid at his residence.
The deceased, identified as Nirmal Singh, died after a police raid conducted at his house in the early hours of Tuesday. Family members claimed that a team of five police personnel arrived at the residence to carry out a search and allegedly assaulted members of the family despite failing to recover anything during the operation.
According to the family, Nirmal Singh and his son, Daler Singh, were beaten with sticks during the raid. Relatives alleged that both sustained injuries to their arms and legs and claimed that Nirmal Singh’s condition deteriorated following the incident, ultimately leading to his death. They further alleged that police personnel forcibly took Nirmal Singh and his son away from the house during the operation.
Shamsher Singh, son of the deceased, alleged that his father was brutally assaulted. Family members and supporters demanded strict action against the police officials involved and called for their dismissal from service.
Villagers who joined the protest also accused the police of routinely detaining local residents and subsequently registering cases against them. The protesters announced that they would not perform the last rites of the deceased until an FIR is registered against the police personnel concerned.
Meanwhile, police officials strongly denied the allegations. Speaking to the media, DSP, Majitha, Kamalmeet Singh Randhawa refuted the claims and stated that no assault had taken place during the raid.
The DSP said that Daler Singh was already facing multiple criminal cases and that the police team had visited the village in connection with an ongoing investigation. He added that the police party left after conducting the raid and that the death occurred later.
Randhawa said the exact cause of death and the nature of the visible injuries on the deceased’s body would only be determined after the post-mortem report is received. He assured that the matter would be investigated fairly and that further action would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry and medical report.
