- विज्ञापन -
Ludhiana: In a disturbing incident in Punjab a shopkeeper who is said to be a garment shop owner have face blackened three sisters, their mother and a youth, and paraded each with a placard hanging around their necks that read “I am a thief”.
Sources said that they were accused of stealing garments. The incident took place in Ludhiana’s Ekjot Nagar area.
According to the police they were reportedly beaten, had their faces forcibly blackened, and had the words “I am a thief, I admit my guilt” written on the placards.”
Following a public outrage on videos of the crime scene circulating on social media, a case was registered on Wednesday under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against garment manufacturing unit.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the crime, Punjab State Women’s Commission in a notice to the Commissioner of Police of Ludhiana called for immediate action and a detailed investigation by a senior official.
The commission has sought a status report on the crime by January 23 regarding the investigation and the action taken against the perpetrators which comprised the owner and his two employees.
“The Punjab State Women’s Commission is committed to ensuring the protection and respect of women’s rights and dignity. Such incidents are a matter of grave concern and will be dealt with utmost seriousness,” the commission said in a statement.
Purported videos of the crime show bystanders hooting with slogans like “beat them up”.
Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lali Gill said that despite public humiliation, no one intervened to stop them from parading in streets or even report the crime to the police immediately.
“I am surprised that the people who were witnessing the crime have no humanity,” she told the media in Chandigarh.
She said the accused took the victims in the streets and the onlookers kept hooting. “Some youths made videos and made them viral on social media. The police will present the accused in a local court on Thursday.”
