A 37-year-old Dalit labourer, who was mercilessly thrashed and forced to drink urine in Punjab's Sangrur district earlier this week, succumbed to his injuries Saturday morning at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg said section 302 (murder) of the IPC has been added to the FIR registered in this matter.
The dalit construction worker Jagmail Singh was admitted to PGIMER and his legs were amputated but he could not survive. A resident of Changaliwala village, he apparently had an altercation with Rinku and some other persons on October 21 but the matter was resolved with the intervention of villagers.
He had told police that on November 7, Rinku called him to his house and they discussed the matter. The man had alleged that he was then thrashed by four persons after being tied to a pillar and when he asked for water, he was forced to drink urine.
Four persons were arrested on the charges of abduction, wrongful confinement, and under various sections of the IPC, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the Lehra police station in Sangrur, police said.
Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has also sought a report from Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police over the incident. Chairperson Tejinder Kaur on Friday said the commission learnt about the incident through media reports and took suo motu cognisance and sought the report.
Condemning the incident, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed shock at the death of the 37-year-old.
Stating that the rule of jungle was prevailing in the state, the former Deputy Chief Minister said there were repeated cases of atrocities against Dalits and that the latest case of Jagmail Singh of Sangrur had stricken the conscience of every right thinking Punjabi.
"Jagmail suffered inhuman atrocities at the hands of his tormentors after being tied to a pillar, acid was poured on his legs and when he asked for water, he was forced to drink urine. Jagmail died a horrible death after both his legs had been amputated earlier," he said in a statement.
Badal said it was condemnable that the Chief Minister had proceeded on a 14-day holiday to Europe at a time when all sections of society were suffering. “This apathy towards the people is shocking”, the SAD President said, adding the government had failed to take prompt action against Jagmail's tormentors and that he was not provided prompt medical attention.
The delay in giving treatment to Jagmail amounts to criminal negligence and action should be taken against officials responsible, he added.
