The Commanding Officer of the Indian Army soldier penned a letter to the Director-General of Police (DGP) in Chandigarh, expressing his outrage over the incident and demanding action against the involved police officers.
In November 2023, the soldier, identified as Naik Arvinder Singh, alleged that he was subjected to physical assault, stripped, and had his turban removed at a police station in Chandigarh. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in an order dated February 1, has scheduled a hearing for February 21 and instructed the preservation of CCTV footage from the Section 11 police station on the day of the incident.
Colonel Mrinal Mehta, the soldier’s Commanding Officer from the 10 Corps Signal Regiment, had previously written to the Chandigarh DGP in January, expressing his deep dismay over the incident and urging action against the responsible officers, terming them ‘vagabonds’ and emphasizing that such actions were a dishonor to the Indian Army.
According to Naik Singh’s petition, he had visited Mullanpur near Chandigarh to meet his estranged wife and child when he was summoned by Punjab Police Sub Inspector Paramjit Singh. Subsequently, he was coerced into visiting the Sector 11 Police Station in Chandigarh, where he was forced to sign blank papers and write false statements under threats of fabricated charges.
Naik Singh named Inspector Malkit Singh and Constable Sunil in his petition, alleging that he was physically assaulted, stripped, and filmed, with his turban being disrespected. Despite lodging a complaint with the SSP Chandigarh on November 16, 2023, no action was taken.
In light of the lack of response from authorities, Naik Singh filed a petition in the high court after his request to the SSP, Chandigarh Police, to assign the inquiry to a Deputy Superintendent of Police went unanswered.
Colonel Mehta’s letter to the DGP condemned the incident, emphasizing the disrespect it brought upon the soldier and the Sikh religion. He vowed to pursue justice through official channels, highlighting the importance of upholding the law and seeking redress for the soldier under his command.
