In the Moga district of Punjab, a tragic incident occurred where a man named Karam Singh lost his life after being severely beaten, allegedly due to suspicions of theft at a gurdwara. The distressing video of this incident has recently surfaced on social media, leading to law enforcement action against the assailants.
Karam Singh, a resident of Gurusar Madi village, succumbed to his injuries shortly after the brutal attack, which took place about ten days ago. However, it was the video footage that came to light more recently that prompted the local police in Moga to take action against the individuals responsible for the fatal assault.
According to the police account, Karam Singh had been taken to a hospital in Moga on October 16 by some villagers who claimed he had sustained injuries while attempting to flee following an alleged theft at a gurdwara in the village. Tragically, he passed away during his hospitalization.
On October 17, Karam's family conducted his last rites, as they were influenced by pressure from the village Panchayat and the local community.
Around a week after Karam's demise, the family came across the video on social media, revealing the horrific beating he endured. The footage depicted a group of men mercilessly assaulting him with sticks, while his hands and legs were bound.
Consequently, the family reported the incident to the police, urging them to take action against the individuals shown in the video.
Based on the available evidence and the family's testimony, the police registered a case against six specific individuals: Nanak Singh, Gurnam Singh, Jagtar Singh, Sira Singh, Dharampal, and Kaku. Furthermore, an additional 16 individuals were also named in the case.
The accused face charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder (Section 302), wrongful confinement (Section 342), rioting while armed with a deadly weapon (Section 148), and being part of an unlawful assembly (Section 149).
Providing more details about the incident, Senior Police Officer (SPD) Ajay Raj explained, "Initially, in response to the family's request, no legal action was taken immediately following Karam Singh's death. We had initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the IPC, which pertains to police inquiries into cases of suicide or unnatural deaths, prior to releasing the deceased's body after conducting a post-mortem examination."
However, Raj continued, "After the discovery of the video footage two days ago, the family accused the perpetrators of murder. In response to this, the police have launched an intensive search for all the accused parties involved in the incident."
