Less than a fortnight after a petition was filed by Mohanjit Singh’s father alleging illegal detention and torture, the Punjab Police has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that allegations of illegal detention and torture of the Sangrur man were being examined by a fact-finding committee. An affidavit filed in the matter cited medical opinion, as per which, the possibility of “self-infliction” of injures or “friendly hand” could not be ruled. The bench was also told that four police officials connected with the incident have been transferred from the posts they held on the date of the alleged incident.In his petition placed before Justice Vikram Aggarwal’s bench for CBI probe, Gurmail Singh had earlier submitted that his son on September 2 showed a black flag to the Chief Minister during his visit to a village in Sangrur district. A team of police officers then went to the rooftop from where the petitioner’s son had shown a black flag, caught him by his beard and gave him beatings, the petitioner’s counsel contended.The affidavit, in response to the petition, was filed by Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav in compliance with the high court’s September 10 order directing the state to file a detailed report regarding the action taken after the alleged incident and prior to the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT).The affidavit said a Lok Milni programme of the Chief Minister was scheduled at Sheron village, Cheema police station, Sangrur, on September 2. Mohanjit Singh indulged in abuse/scuffle with the locals before the programme commenced. “Mohanjit Singh returned in the evening, during the address of the Chief Minister, along with one Mani Sharma, waved a black flag and raised slogans from a house situated at the rear side of the stage where function of the Chief Minister was being held.”The report stated that Mohanjit Singh and Mani Sharma were then rounded up by the police and detained at the Anaj Mandi police post, Jattvibeam, for questioning “to prevent any breach of peace or commission of a cognisable offence”.The affidavit said Mani Sharma was subsequently released after being duly counselled and handed over to his brother. Mohanjit Singh, however, was taken to the Cheema police station for preventive action.Preventive proceedings initiated against petitioner’s sonThe reply said preventive proceedings under Section 126/170 BNSS were initiated and Mohanjit Singh was lodged in the lock-up at the Cheema police station. On September 3, he was taken for medical examination to Civil Hospital, Jattvibeam. After an ASI suspected him to be under the influence of some intoxicant, a dope test was conducted by the SMO, Jattvibeam, and the report stated “Morphine Positive”. After objections were raised by Mohanjit Singh’s uncle and an advocate, the test was conducted again, with the same result, the affidavit said.He was produced before the Executive Magistrate, Jattvibeam, the same day and released on furnishing a personal bond. The affidavit added that Mohanjit Singh was medically examined at Civil Hospital before he was produced before the Executive Magistrate. The doctor recorded: “No Fresh Injury Present at the Time of Examination”.The reply added that the same evening a “ruqa” was received from Civil Hospital, Sangrur, that Mohanjit Singh had been admitted in an injured condition. The MLR recorded 10 injuries, all blunt in nature. The reply added that the duration of injuries was mentioned as two to six hours prior to examination, while the alleged incident was stated to have occurred on the evening of September 2. “Thus there is considerable discrepancy in time,” the report said. It further reproduced the doctor’s opinion as saying: “Possibility of Self infliction or friendly hand cannot be ruled out.”Fact-finding committee constitutedThe affidavit said a SIT had been constituted comprising IPS officers Dilpreet Singh and Gazalpreet Kaur, along with PPS officer Palwinder Singh Cheema. The team had been directed to look into the matter.The affidavit separately identified seven police personnel whose names appeared in the contemporaneous record as having been present during, or connected with, the rounding-up, questioning, escort, lock-up or subsequent recording of the injured person’s statement.In view of the allegations made against police officials and the need for conducting a fair inquiry into the matter, four police officials had been “transferred from the posts they held on the date of incident, on administrative grounds”, it was added.