Ludhiana, Jan 22 In a distressing incident in Punjab, a garment manufacturing unit owner in this industrial city has allegedly humiliated three sisters, their mother and a youth, blackened their faces with ink, and paraded each with a placard hanging around their necks that read “I am a thief”.
They were accused of stealing garments. The incident took place in Ludhiana’s Ekjot Nagar area. 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. They were then paraded in the area, according to police reports.
They were teased by passersby, as some of them recorded the incident on the camera of their mobile phones. One of the victims was a young woman whose marriage is scheduled soon.
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, Palwinder Singh, who accused the woman, her daughters, and youth Abhishek of stealing goods from the factory.
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. After the videos went viral, the police station at Basti Jodhewal registered a case against garment manufacturing owner Palwinder Singh, manager Manpreet Singh and a worker. The police will present the accused in a local court on Thursday.
According to the police, after seeing the CCTV footage of the purported theft, the owner got suspicious and called the victims. He accused them of committing the theft.
Without informing the police, the owner brought ink and allegedly blackened the faces of all five and made them stand there. After this, they were taken to the street and paraded in the neighbourhood. When they were paraded, people followed them.
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