Chandigarh: A social activist who uncovered the unlawful sale of addictive medication by chemists in Punjab has been arrested by the Mansa police, sparking a political uproar within the state.
The activist, Parvinder Singh alias Jhota, was arrested Saturday following which a Mansa courtroom despatched him to 14-day judicial custody the identical day.
Parvinder and his six associates had been booked below IPC Sections 355 (felony assault with an intend to dishonour), 451 (home trespass), 148 (rioting) and 149 (illegal meeting).
Parvinder had been making movies and posting them on social media, accusing a piece of chemists of supplying pharmaceutical medication to addicts. He had additionally focused the well being division, particularly the drug inspectors, who’re anticipated to maintain a test on the sale of pharmaceutical medication which will be misused by drug addicts.
In a purported video on 12 July, Parvinder, alongside along with his supporters, had caught an alleged drug peddler who was promoting banned capsules. The person took them to a store from the place he was allegedly procuring the banned drug.
Parvinder and others discovered the banned medication within the store, following which they paraded the store proprietor, Ashwini Kumar, available in the market, the video exhibits.
In line with the knowledge shared by Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh on Twitter, Parvinder, alongside along with his supporters and buddies, entered a chemist store in Mansa and allegedly dragged the proprietor, Ashwini Kumar, out of the store.
“Parvinder Singh then put a garland of sneakers round Ashwani’s neck and paraded him available in the market. They introduced him to town to the police station the place they filed a proper grievance in opposition to him,” the SSP stated.
The SSP additional stated that, in line with the grievance given by Parvinder Singh, Ashwini Kumar allegedly gave a set of capsules to an unidentified particular person.
“Although these capsules don’t come below the NDPS Act, they’re banned below IPC Part 144. On that grievance, an FIR was registered in opposition to Ashwini Kumar. The video of your entire incident had been unfold on Fb and different social media. Taking cognisance, an FIR was lodged in opposition to Parvinder for taking the legislation into their very own palms.”
The senior police officer added that no person has the suitable to take the legislation into their palms, and the police had been actively taking motion in opposition to drug peddlers.
Because the information of Parvinder’s arrest unfold, his supporters gathered outdoors the Mansa police station demanding his speedy launch Saturday. The protest led by his father continued Monday. Speaking to a media, Parvinder’s father alleged that his son had been brutally tortured within the police station. The protesters have now given a name for gathering at Mansa on 21 July in assist of Parvinder.
ThePrint reached SSP Singh by way of calls and textual content messages on the allegation of torture contained in the police station, however didn’t obtain a response. This report will likely be up to date if and when a response is acquired.
In the meantime, leaders of all the most important political events in addition to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have come out in assist of Parvinder, condemning the federal government for arresting a whistleblower.
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The viral video and political uproar
A purported video of Parvinder’s arrest that was tweeted by Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa exhibits not less than two dozen policemen surrounding Parvinder’s home within the early hours on Saturday. Within the video, Parvinder’s father is seen alleging that he was manhandled by the police when he tried to shut the gate of his home and obtained injured within the course of.
The policemen are then seen forcibly getting into the home by means of the roof and dragging Parvinder Singh out at the same time as his relations watched.
Former jathedar of the Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh, who’s the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, was the primary to react to the arrest.
In a tweet in Punjabi, he stated that any transfer to arrest and even threaten somebody who’s crusading in opposition to drug abuse can solely be seen as supporting the drug merchants. If the federal government is definitely critical about controlling drug abuse, it ought to “take and provides the assist of these combating in opposition to medication”, he added.
The SGPC additionally condemned the incident and demanded an impartial probe into the matter.
In the meantime, Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted saying that the way by which Parvinder was arrested raises a number of questions concerning the working of the Bhagwant Mann authorities.
He stated, as a substitute of guiding Parvinder on how you can carry ahead his marketing campaign in opposition to drug abuse, he was arrested, which is extremely condemnable. “Don’t flip Punjab right into a police Raj,” Warring tweeted.
BJP chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa took a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the arrest. Sirsa alleged that those that had been laying naked the community of drug peddlers in Punjab had been being pushed into jails.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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