Balwinder Singh, a sub-inspector of police, was suspended on Tuesday, 28 June, after he shot and injured a motorcyclist during a scuffle at a checkpoint in Punjab's Dera Bassi on Sunday.
The Dera Bassi police has since registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A police vehicle was also reportedly vandalised by some unidentified people present at the spot.
A purported video of the incident that surfaced on the internet showed a man scuffling with the police officer, who then fires a single shot at the man's leg.
Police said that the injured man, who has been identified as Hitesh Kumar (24), was admitted to a hospital in Chandigarh.
What Had Happened?
A police team patrolling the area stopped a couple on a two-wheeler for routine checking. The woman had an argument with Sub-Inspector (SI) Singh and called some of her relatives, following which they entered into an altercation with the cops, police said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Mohali) Vivek Sheel Soni on Tuesday ordered registration of an FIR against Singh and placed him under suspension. Departmental action against three police personnel present on the spot was also initiated, the SSP said.
Speaking to news agency ANI, victim's brother Akshay claimed that the group of police officers had on Sunday night arrived at Hebatpur road, where they were present and misbehaved with them. "They wanted to check my wife’s bag. They were drunk and they fired upon my brother," he said.
“We were patrolling when we saw a couple standing near the road. We asked them where they had come from. They started fighting with us and a Sub Inspector fired upon them. They also tried to rip my uniform,” said a police officer.
According to a police statement, "The development came after the SI, who along with the police team was conducting a routine checking, fired at the leg of a person identified as Hitesh Kumar following a scuffle with some individuals on the night of 26 June."
He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Superintendent of Police Headquarters in Mohali has been constituted to investigate the incident and submit a report.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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