Sangrur: A resident of Bhathtlan village in Barnala district allegedly consumed a poisonous substance inside the Dhanaula police station on Thursday, accusing officers of withholding an official document and demanding bribes.
Police officials denied the bribery charges. He added that the police are reviewing the matter and appropriate action will follow the investigation. The incident is the third recent suicide attempt linked to alleged official inaction or political grievances in the region this month.
In a video recorded shortly before the incident, the victim stated that his car caught fire 17 days ago, but officers repeatedly turned him away when he requested a copy of the daily diary register (DDR) entry. He alleged that police station officials summoned the local panchayat, accused him of setting fire to his own vehicle, and demanded bribes ranging from ₹ 5,000 to ₹ 10,000. On September 20, a resident of Namol village attempted suicide outside the District Administrative Complex in Sangrur, alleging police inaction over death threats received for posting anti-drug videos online.
Barnala deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rajinderpal Singh said the victim was already under distress due to the Sangrur land dispute.
The DSP said both the SHO and the munshi were present during the incident.
He held Dhanaula station house officer (SHO) Manjeet Singh and clerk (munshi) responsible for his action. He also named a revenue official (patwari), Gurwinder Singh, citing an ongoing land dispute in Balian village, Sangrur. “When he returned the next morning to collect a copy, the SHO asked him to wait 10 minutes due to an ongoing video conference meeting.
The victim said such harassment was occurring in chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s constituency. In a state of depression, the man suddenly consumed a poisonous substance,” the DSP said. The victim approached the station on Wednesday night after his car caught fire, and a DDR entry was registered, according to the DSP.
On September 7, a Dalit man died after consuming poison shortly after publicly questioning finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema about local drug trafficking. The death triggered political controversy and protests demanding an FIR against the minister.
