Bring my father’s murderer before me, I will shoot him: Amritsar victim

Amritsar, Dec 6 (IANS) The daughter of a Punjab Police officer, who was shot dead by a ruling Shiromani Akali Dal leader in full public view Wednesday, said she would kill the accused if he is brought in front of her.

“Bring him before me. I will shoot and kill him like he did to my helpless father. No one came to help us as he (the accused) attacked us,” the daughter of slain Assistant Sub-Inspector Ravinder Pal Singh said here Thursday.

ASI Ravinder Pal Singh was allegedly shot dead by Ranjit Singh Rana, a general secretary of the Amritsar district Akali Dal, and his accomplices in Chheharta area on outskirts of the city after he objected to his daughter being subjected their harassment Wednesday. Rana had been stalking the ASI’s daughter for the last few days.

Sobbing continuously, the victim said that no one from the public came to help her and her father as Rana continued to shoot and assault them.

“After he shot at my father with his rifle, my father collapsed. Rana then hit me and I fell on my father. He kept kicking and hitting us in full public glare. I cried and pleaded for help but everyone ran away. Even when the ambulance came, I had to lift my father into it as no one came to help me,” she said.

She said that the same gang, led by Rana had harassed her on Dec 1 also and she had complained to the nearby police station. “However, no one listened. Had police acted on that day, my father would have been alive today,” she said.

About Wednesday’s shooting, the victim said that after her father confronted Rana and his accomplices, Rana took out a pistol and shot her father in the leg. She also received gunshot wounds on the hand.

“After that, he ran away and I rushed my father to the hospital in my car. They came back with a rifle after some time and as my father came out of the car, he (Rana) shot him. We didn’t even know him or had any enmity. I want justice,” the victim said.

Rana and his accomplice were arrested Thursday for the ASI’s killing while two other men continued to elude police. The police officer was in uniform when he was attacked by Rana.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini told media here that police had swung into action immediately after Wednesday’s killing and arrested the main accused. Three weapons, all licensed, were recovered from them.

IANS 2012-12-06 19:12:03