Tribune News Service

Fazilka:Mr S.R. Ladhar, District Magistrate, Ferozepore has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident of alleged stripping of Dalit women by two families of Neolan village in this subdivision of the district recently. Mr Ladhar in a letter to Mr Satish Kumar Singla, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Fazilka, has directed him to conduct an inquiry into the incident of parading of naked women in streets.

Mr Ladhar has also asked Mr Singla to submit a report regarding the action to be taken against the culprit under the Sections of the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Castes Act. The inquiry is to be completed within a week. Mr Ladhar has also asked Mr Harchand Singh Sidhu, SSP, to register a case against the culprits. He has also asked Mr Sidhu to submit a report in this connection within a week. The incident of stripping of Dalit woman on June 22 and June 23 had sent shock waves in the region. The police has arrested accused out of total 16 accused who had been booked in two separate cases in Sadar police station, Fazilka. According to an FIR lodged by Jeeta Bai, she was stripped naked by Joginder Singh and Mohinder Singh and their wives.

Joginder Singh and Mohinder Singh, who were brothers and their wives, Nikko Bai and Chinndo Bai, stripped her when she was returning to her house after working in her fields.

Nikko Bai an accused in the first case, in her FIR alleged that she was stripped when she was going out of her village to visit her parents house. She alleged that after stripping her she was kept in illegal confinement by the accused. Police sources said on the complaint of Jeeto Bai, a case under Sections 354, 323 and 506 of the IPC was registered while on the complaint of Neeko Bai, a case under Sections 354, 382, 342, 148 and 149 of the IPC was registered. Those booked in these two cases included Chinndo Bai, Neeko Bai, Joginder Singh, Mohinder Singh, Kala Ram, Phuman Singh, Piara Singh, Kako Bai, Rulia Singh, Hari Singh, Paccho Bai, Malkiat Singh, Vir Singh, Bachan Singh and Surjeet Singh. Those arrested persons are Phuman Singh, Vir Singh, Kala Singh, Piara Singh, Surjeet Singh and Mohinder Singh.