CHANDIGARH: A report by The Indian Express this morning on a complaint against Inspector General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini to the state human rights commission brought the might of the Punjab cops to the reporter’s door.
Throwing all legal norms out of the window, a police team, reporting directly to IGP Saini, stormed into the residence of The Indian Express Principal Correspondent Gautam Dheer and took him away late tonight.
Giving no reason for the arrest, denying him access to a lawyer, police refused to even confirm where they had taken him. It was only well after midnight that it was found Dheer was detained at the Kharar Police Station. Until 1.30 am–at the time of going to press–no one from his family or the newspaper was allowed access.
DGP S S Virk claimed that Dheer had been arrested for ‘‘threatening a minor girl allegedly raped in Nayagaon village near here in 2003.’’ What he didn’t mention was that this morning, the Chandigarh edition of The Indian Express had carried Dheer’s report about two Nayagaon residents complaining to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission alleging police harassment at the hands of IGP Saini who is heading investigations into the rape of the minor girl.
Seeking protection from the Human Rights Commission, the complainants, Karanjit Kaur and Labh Singh of village Karoran (Ropar), alleged that even after the arrest of Kesar Singh–he’s Karanjit’s husband and one of the accused in the rape case–they were being harassed by the police who were threatening to implicate them in a case. The complaint alleged that the police had locked their house, shops and taken away their vehicle.
On August 22, the division bench of the Commission asked the complainants to file a detailed affidavit, giving dates and instances of police raids and harassment. The case is to come up for hearing tomorrow before the full Commission.
Earlier, while Dheer was working on this story, Saini had threatened him against going ahead with it. Sonia, Dheer’s wife, said that this morning he had pointed out the story to her and had said if ‘‘he went missing, she should contact his Resident Editor.’’
Sonia said they were stepping out of the house around 8.15 pm when two men in a Maruti pulled up at the gate. One of the men, turbaned, introduced himself as Raju, and said: ‘‘Don’t you recognise me? We met on the mall in Shimla.’’ (Dheer has been an Express correspondent in Shimla).
Sonia says Gautam could not place him but asked him to come in. Just when they entered the house, Sonia says she heard a commotion and saw a Gypsy-load of policemen pouring into the garden.
‘‘A turbaned policeman then caught hold of Gautam’s wrist and said that he was being arrested. Gautam’s sister-in-law says the man who called himself SHO, Kharar, said: ‘‘Je Punjab police naal panga leyoge te bhugatna padega (If you mess with the Punjab police you will have to suffer the consequences.)’’
Sonia says when Gautam tried to ask him why he was being arrested, he said ‘‘he would soon find out.’’ When Dheer’s father, Lt Col S L Dheer (retd), tried to intervene, he was pushed aside. ‘‘They dragged him to the Gypsy ... they treated him like a criminal,’’ says Sonia. Sonia says the two men in Maruti were also part of the team. ‘‘I told them, ‘You lied to get inside the house,’ but they walked away.’’
Soon after news spread in the city, journalists got together and staged a protest outside the residence of DGP Virk, who was groping for answers.
‘‘If a complaint was received, did the police call Gautam for questioning’’, he was asked. The DGP did not reply but said this was for the investigating officer Saini to reply. ‘‘Is there a link between the arrest and Dheer’s report on the complaint against Saini?’’ ‘‘I do not think so,’’ Virk said. Virk said he had already spoken to Saini who would ‘‘hopefully help them in case the journalists meet him.’’
The DGP repeatedly told everyone to go to Saini to ‘‘bail out’’ the journalist. ‘‘A few of you can go to the Sector 16 residence of the IO and sign for his bail’’, Virk said. ‘‘But, mind you, the charges are non-bailable’’, Virk said.
