Lok Insaaf Party president and Ludhiana’s Atam Nagar MLA Simarjit Singh Bains was booked for allegedly using abusive language against Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Vipul Ujwal.
Bains was booked under seven Sections 186, 353, 451, 147, 177, 505, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), most of the offences non-baliable, on the complaint of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Balbir Raj Singh.
Senior Superintendent of Police Upinderjit Singh Ghumman told the media that a case was registered against Bains and his unidentified 20-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 IPC on Saturday night in Batala town.
Bains, who was caught in a video that went viral, was accused of using derogatory language against Ujwal, whom he met to enquire about the explosion at a firecracker manufacturing factory that claimed 23 lives, leaving many other injured.
The verbal spat between Ujwal and Bains was over the non-identification of a blast victim.
In the video clip, Bains was heard saying, “Eh tere baap da office nahi hai. Eh public da office hai, te tu public nu hi keh reha ki bahar jao. (This is not your father’s office. This is an office meant for the public and here you are asking the public to leave)”.
At this, the Deputy Commissioner replied: “Either mind your language or I’m not going to talk to you.”
“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.
Bains was trying to help one Manjit Singh who was claiming that the administration was not serious in locating the body of his brother Satnam Singh who had lost his life in the blast.
Since Friday, the Punjab IAS Officers’ Association had been contemplating whether to register an FIR or not. Finally, the case was registered at Batala City Police Station on late Saturday night.
The Association had strongly condemned the “undignified and intimidatory” conduct of MLA Simarjit Singh Bains with Vipul Ujjwal, Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur in his office through a tweet.
The video had sparked off widespread condemnation from Congressmen with Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa saying that Bains had indeed used “highly derogatory language.”
A police team has been sent to Ludhiana to arrest the MLA.
At the same time, Bains told the press that he was only trying to help a victim. “I was just trying to help a victim because the DC kept asking the victim to leave his office. I’m not afraid, and I’m not running away. Arrest me if you want,” he said.
Reacting to the registration of case against him and his companions, Bains accused Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of being behind the legal action against him.