In the one-week-old petrol pump assault case here, the court of additional sessions judge has rejected the anticipatory bail applications of five accused persons, while the police continued raids across various locations to apprehend the remaining suspects.
The Petrol Pump Owners’ Association has meanwhile hardened its stand, threatening to keep all fuel stations shut in protest against the slow pace of arrests.
Additional Sessions Judge Krishan Kant Jain, while dismissing the bail applications, ruled that the five accused–Gurveer Singh Kanda (Ginni Kanda), Harpreet Singh Kanda (Happy Kanda), Malkit Singh (Malkit Kanda), Gurpreet Singh Khurmi, and Dalbeer Singh (Deep Kanda)–were not entitled to the concession of anticipatory bail.
The court observed that it was prima facie established that the accused party came as a group under a pre-planned conspiracy on June 8 and caused grievous injuries to the petrol pump employees without any instigation on their part.
The violent episode that triggered the legal battle dates to June 8, when a group of around 24-25 armed persons arrived at a petrol pump in the town and allegedly launched a premeditated assault on the pump staff.
Employee Bikramjit Singh alias Raja was first targeted, and when manager Mandeep Singh intervened, the attackers dragged him aside and beat him so severely that his arm was fractured.
In all, 11 injuries were recorded on the complainant’s person and four on Bikramjit Singh. The police registered a case under multiple sections of the BNS at the City Faridkot police station.
The assault is believed to be rooted in a dispute from June 6, when Gurveer Singh Kanda had visited the same pump and got into an altercation with an employee over air-filling. Though the matter was reportedly settled that day, the accused allegedly returned two days later with a large group to take revenge.
The CCTV footage of the June 8 attack had gone viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. In the days that followed, the Petrol Pump Owners’ Association, led by its president Ashok Sachar, submitted a memorandum to the SSP and DC demanding swift action. “Some hooligans openly entered the petrol pump and mercilessly thrashed our staff in broad daylight.
Only one arrest has been made so far–this is highly disappointing," Sachar had said. The police claimed that they were conducting raids at multiple locations to nab the remaining suspects before the deadline runs out.
