
Punjab: Kotfatta SHO transferred to police lines after vlogger alleges intimidation
Kotfatta station house officer (SHO) Manish Kumar was transferred to the police lines on Tuesday for allegedly intimidating Lakhvir Singh Sidhu, a vlogger from Bhai Bhaktaur village.
The disciplinary action against the SHO, an inspector-rank officer, came after Sidhu posted a video last night, accusing Kumar of threatening to implicate him in fabricated cases.
Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal did not respond to queries on whether the vlogger had shared any audio or video evidence to buttress his claims of police harassment.
On Sunday, Sidhu had posted a video on his Facebook page with a poster in the backdrop that read 'village on sale' and claimed that the residents wanted to leave the village as they were intimidated by drug traffickers.
The vlogger cited the example of an ex-serviceman, Ranvir Singh, who was allegedly assaulted by drug traders, leaving him with fractures in his legs.
Following the incident, the Kotfatta police had arrested two accused on Sunday, which HT had reported in these columns.
After their arrest, vlogger Sidhu posted a video lauding SHO Kumar and superintendent of police Heena Gupta for nabbing the accused within 24 hours. A day later, however, Sidhu posted another video, alleging gross misconduct by the SHO.
The vlogger claimed that the SHO was objecting to his video that residents of Bhai Bakhtaur village want to put their village on sale due to intimidation by drug traffickers.
But around midnight on Monday, Bathinda police authorities shared a 1.23-minute video where the vlogger was purportedly heard saying that he was satisfied with the assurance of SSP Kondal about complete support from the district police.
The issue picked up steam again on Tuesday when Congress legislator Pargat Singh visited Bathinda and demanded action against the SHO.
In a video statement issued on Tuesday, SSP Kondal said she visited the victim, Ranvir Singh, at a private hospital in Bathinda and told him about the arrest of the main accused under attempt-to-murder and wrongful restraint charges.
She said after the recovery of an illicit weapon from the accused during police remand, sections of the Arms Act were also invoked.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
32 minutes ago
- Hans India
MPs united against terrorism: Aparajita
Bhubaneswar: Lawmakers may have differences of opinion on various internal issues, but on terrorism, they spoke in one voice and informed the world about Pakistan's role behind it, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said on Saturday after returning from a five-nation tour as part of a multi-party delegation. Sarangi, the MP of Bhubaneswar, was given a rousing welcome by her supporters on her arrival here. 'We may have differences of opinion on issues inside the country. But, on terrorism, all of us spoke in one voice and apprised the foreign countries of how Pakistan is peddling lies and nurturing terrorism,' she told reporters. 'All members of the delegation raised India's voice together,' she added. Sarangi's delegation had members from the Congress, TMC, JD(U) and CPI(M). 'During our trip, we spoke to politicians, women, youth, academia, media and community representatives, and people from different walks of life. Indian diaspora was all along with us,' she said. 'There were elaborate discussions on India's policy of zero-tolerance to terrorism,' she said. A grand rally, organised by her supporters, accompanied Sarangi from Biju Patnaik International Airport to her office, with party workers and locals lining the route to celebrate her return. Sarangi reflected on the objectives and outcomes of the international visit and responded to the Opposition's call for a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor. 'It was a privilege to engage with a wide spectrum of stakeholders -- from political leaders and women's groups to youth forums, think tanks and community associations,' she said. 'Wherever we went, the Indian diaspora came out in strength, and the conversations were meaningful and inspiring,' she added. Sarangi said the delegation had a clear mandate from Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- to assert India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and explain the strategic shift in India's security doctrine. 'India now operates under a 'New Normal' -- zero tolerance and immediate response,' she emphasised. Referring to Operation Sindoor, Sarangi said: 'In just four days, we neutralised over 100 terrorists, dismantled major terror infrastructure, and eliminated around 11 top operatives. However, we also suffered deeply -- 26 lives were lost, including innocent tourists. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, nor forgiven.' She described the global response to the delegation's visit as 'overwhelmingly supportive'. Addressing the Opposition's demands for a special session of Parliament, Sarangi pushed back. 'I don't see the necessity for it. This delegation included 59 MPs -- only 20 of them from the BJP. Others were from Congress, TMC, JD(U), CPI(M), and more. If we could present a united voice on foreign soil, why create divisions at home? Even senior leaders in Delhi appreciated the coordination and purpose we demonstrated.'


New Indian Express
38 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Bengaluru stampede: BJP legislators to hand over a month's salary to victims' kin
BENGALURU: Members of the BJP staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in connection with the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, which claimed 11 lives. They demanded that the government pay compensation of Rs 1 crore, while BJP legislators themselves have resolved to hand over a month's salary to the victims' family members. Ashoka also demanded that the state government call for a special session to discuss the issue. Ashoka said the government ignored police advice and the Congress leaders violated law. He alleged that had Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar not engaged in a power struggle, students would not have lost their lives.


New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Karnataka HC refuses to quash graft case in ‘reverse trap'
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash a corruption case against AB Vijaya Kumar, joint director of municipal administration, who has been booked in a rare case of 'reverse trap' by the Lokayukta police. Kumar was allegedly caught while returning Rs 3 lakh he had received as a bribe from a complainant, a priest, under the pretext of making a 'donation to the temple'. The incident occurred while Kumar was serving as the special land acquisition officer (SLAO) in the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Kumar's petition, challenging the FIR registered under Sections 7(a) and 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in 2022 and the subsequent proceedings. The court observed that a 'reverse trap' refers to a situation where a bribe-taker returns the illegal gratification to the bribe-giver, often for complex reasons.