Punjab Newsline | Malout
A shocking incident of alleged vigilante violence has surfaced from Jhorar village in Punjab's Malout area, where two Scheduled Caste youths were reportedly tied with ropes, stripped to a semi-nude state, dragged through fields and paraded through the village over allegations of mobile phone snatching.
Police have arrested the two youths accused of snatching a mobile phone and have also registered a case against 11 members of the other group under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Among those named in the FIR are Hardeep Singh, Avtar Singh, Rimpa Singh and Manpreet Singh alias Billa, all residents of Jhorar village. Police said the accused are currently absconding and will be arrested soon.
The incident gained wider attention after a video allegedly showing the assault of the youths circulated on social media. Taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, Punjab State SC Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi issued notices to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sri Muktsar Sahib and the concerned Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), seeking a report by June 9.
According to police, Varinder Sahni, a labourer from Nepal's Sarlahi district, told investigators that he was carrying food for fellow workers in the fields on Saturday morning when two motorcycle-borne youths allegedly snatched his mobile phone on the Jhorar-Ramnagar road. After he raised an alarm, local resident Avtar Singh reportedly identified the suspects.
Varinder and his associate Ramchander later reached Jhorar village, where the two accused were found at the village panchayat building. The suspects allegedly claimed that the stolen phone was hidden in a motorcycle parked outside Gurvinderpal Singh's house, but the device was not recovered. They then fled towards nearby fields, prompting villagers to chase them.
Police said a scuffle broke out during the pursuit, during which the suspects' clothes were torn. However, the family of one of the accused has alleged that he was forcibly taken from his home, assaulted, dragged through fields and paraded in a semi-nude condition before being tied with ropes.
Jaspal Kaur, mother of accused Gurvinderpal Singh, claimed that her son was sleeping at home when a group of men forcibly took him away on motorcycles. She alleged that both she and her son were assaulted when she tried to intervene.
Malout DSP Jaspal Singh Dhaliwal confirmed that a case was registered against Gurvinderpal Singh and Sandeep Singh on the complaint of Varinder Sahni, and both have been arrested in connection with the alleged mobile snatching. A separate case has also been registered against villagers accused of assaulting and humiliating the two youths.
