Chandigarh: A social activist who exposed the illegal sale of addictive drugs by chemists in Punjab has been arrested by the Mansa police, sparking a political uproar in the state.
The activist, Parvinder Singh alias Jhota, was arrested Saturday following which a Mansa court sent him to 14-day judicial custody the same day.
Parvinder and his six associates were booked under IPC Sections 355 (criminal assault with an intend to dishonour), 451 (house trespass), 148 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly).
Parvinder had been making videos and posting them on social media, accusing a section of chemists of supplying pharmaceutical drugs to addicts. He had also targeted the health department, especially the drug inspectors, who are expected to keep a check on the sale of pharmaceutical drugs which can be misused by drug addicts.
In a purported video on 12 July, Parvinder, along with his supporters, had caught an alleged drug peddler who was selling banned capsules. The man took them to a shop from where he was allegedly procuring the banned drug.
Parvinder and others found the banned drugs in the shop, following which they paraded the shop owner, Ashwini Kumar, in the market, the video shows.
According to the information shared by Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh on Twitter, Parvinder, along with his supporters and friends, entered a chemist shop in Mansa and allegedly dragged the owner, Ashwini Kumar, out of the shop.
“Parvinder Singh then put a garland of shoes around Ashwani’s neck and paraded him in the market. They brought him to the city to the police station where they filed a formal complaint against him,” the SSP said.
The SSP further said that, according to the complaint given by Parvinder Singh, Ashwini Kumar allegedly gave a set of capsules to an unidentified person.
“Though these capsules do not come under the NDPS Act, they are banned under IPC Section 144. On that complaint, an FIR was registered against Ashwini Kumar. The video of the entire incident were spread on Facebook and other social media. Taking cognisance, an FIR was lodged against Parvinder for taking the law into their own hands.”
The senior police officer added that nobody has the right to take the law into their hands, and the police were actively taking action against drug peddlers.
As the news of Parvinder’s arrest spread, his supporters gathered outside the Mansa police station demanding his immediate release Saturday. The protest led by his father continued Monday. Talking to a media, Parvinder’s father alleged that his son had been brutally tortured in the police station. The protesters have now given a call for gathering at Mansa on 21 July in support of Parvinder.
ThePrint reached SSP Singh via calls and text messages on the allegation of torture inside the police station, but did not receive a response. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Meanwhile, leaders of all the major political parties as well as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have come out in support of Parvinder, condemning the 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 Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa shows at least two dozen policemen surrounding Parvinder’s house in the early hours on Saturday. In the video, Parvinder’s father is seen alleging that he was manhandled by the police when he tried to close the gate of his house and got injured in the process.
The policemen are then seen forcibly entering the house through the roof and dragging Parvinder Singh out even as his family members watched.
Former jathedar of the Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh, who is the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, was the first to react to the arrest.
In a tweet in Punjabi, he said that any move to arrest or even threaten someone who is crusading against drug abuse can only be seen as supporting the drug traders. If the government is actually serious about controlling drug abuse, it should “take and give the support of those fighting against drugs”, he added.
The SGPC also condemned the incident and demanded an independent probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted saying that the manner in which Parvinder was arrested raises several questions about the working of the Bhagwant Mann government.
He said, instead of guiding Parvinder on how to carry forward his campaign against drug abuse, he was arrested, which is highly condemnable. “Do not turn Punjab into a police Raj,” Warring tweeted.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa took a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the arrest. Sirsa alleged that those who were laying bare the network of drug peddlers in Punjab were being pushed into jails.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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