Punjab factory blast: MLA who berated Gurdaspur deputy commissioner booked for obstructing, assaulting public servant

Batala: A member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly was on Sunday booked by Punjab police for allegedly berating Gurdaspur deputy commissioner publicly at the civil hospital in Batala on the issue of identity of a victim’s body, with the video of the incident having gone viral. [caption id=“attachment_7305981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Ludhiana MLA Simranjit Singh Bains. ANI[/caption] In the video, legislator Simranjit Singh Bains is seen shouting at Deputy Commissioner Vipul Ujwal even as the officer tries to clear some confusion over the identity of a blast victim’s body. A day after the blast in a firecracker unit in Gurdaspur that killed 23 persons, the Lok Insaaf Party chief had allegedly berated Ujwal publicly at the civil hospital. Police have booked Ludhiana MLA and his unidentified twenty-odd associates on charges of voluntarily obstructing and assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant (Sections 186 and 353) from discharging his duty, committing trespass (Section 451) and making criminal intimidation (Section 506) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Opinderjit Singh said the FIR has been registered on the complaint of Batala sub-divisional magistrate Balraj Singh who was also present at the time of incident. “Eh tere baap da office nahi hai. Eh public da office hai. Te tu public nu hi keh rehan ki bahar jao. (It’s not your father’s office, it’s a public office and you are asking the public to get out),” Bains is heard yelling at Ujwal, even as the officer is seen trying to calm the infuriated MLA in the video. “Mera naal gal kar la pehla” (Talk to me first)," Bains is seen telling the officer earlier in the 45-second video in presence of the SSP, Civil Surgeon Kishan Chand and Deputy SP Balkrishna Singla. With the furious MLA refusing to see reasons, a humiliated deputy commissioner is heard merely quipping “I’m not going to talk to you” and seen leaving the place. Reacting to the registration of case against him and his companions, Bains accused Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh of being behind the legal action against him.