Faridkot, January 29: Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) Baljinder Singh Sandhu, posted at Jaito in Faridkot, died after a bullet fired from his service weapon hit him in the head this afternoon. He had gone to the Punjabi University Regional Centre, Jaito, to resolve an issue between students and the police.Hours after the incident, the police registered a case under Section 306 of the IPC (abetment to suicide) against some unidentified students and members of the Bharti Kisan Union (Dakonda).
Lal Singh, DSP Sandhu’s gunman who was standing beside him, is under treatment at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, as some bullet shrapnel had hit him. Some students have been rounded up in this connection.
DSP Sandhu is survived by his wife and son.The incident occurred while the DSP was negotiating with the students, who were protesting against Jaito SHO Gurmeet Singh for allegedly thrashing three students, including a girl, on January 12. Some BKU men were supporting them.Demanding an unconditional apology from the SHO, students and farmers had given a call for a protest march on Monday.
The DSP was trying to end the standoff as some students were raising slogans of “azadi”. During that commotion, a bullet went off from the DSP’s pistol. It first pierced through the DSP’s head and then hit his gunman. The DSP died on the spot.
While students claimed the DSP ended his life for some unknown reason, the police claimed the protesting students forced him to end his life. The unlawful assembly of students and BKU members provoked the DSP to take the extreme step, said Faridkot SSP Nanak Singh.
He denied that the police had rounded up any student or farmer so far.Sandhu had been giving a patient hearing to the students for the past many days in his effort to resolve the issue, but the students kept on building pressure on him, the SSP said. Faridkot district president of BKU (Dakonda) Malkit Singh Fauji maintained the students were holding a peaceful protest. “The DSP was trying to prevail upon the SHO to admit his fault to end the standoff, but the latter was adamant,” he said.
By registering a false case against students and farmers, the police had further added fuel to the fire, he claimed. A car belonging to some BKU (Dakonda) office-bearers, which was parked near the incident site, was also damaged.
Source Tribune India
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