Now, complainant booked for assault

PATIALA: The local police have booked an RTI activist-cumwhistleblower for assault and deterring public servant from discharging his duty in a case related to the escape of five minors from Rajpura-based SOS shelter home. RTI activist Akash Verma had levelled serious allegations against the management of the shelter home.
The case was registered on Sunday, following a complaint by the district child protection officer (DCPO) Harpreet Kaur Sandhu, who alleged that Verma had entered her office in Patiala along with three media persons and deterred her from discharging his duty.
Five minor inmates, including a 16-year-old girl, had levelled various allegations, including of sexual abuse by boys and young girls being shown porn videos, against the management of the shelter home.
However, the DCPO had claimed that their investigation did not reveal any such thing. A minor issue of infighting among children inside the shelter home had emerged, she said.
Five inmates of the shelter home had escaped on September 12. They planned to board a train for Amritsar but were found by a relative of one of them. Verma had lodged a complaint with the higher authorities and claimed to have even informed the DCPO in the afternoon.
Senior superintendent of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the case against Verma was registered under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of IPC act on Sandhu’s complaint.
In her complaint, Sandhu alleged that Verma barged into her office and started making a live video along with media persons. She added that only female staff was present in the office. The complainant added that he rummaged through official files lying on the table and interfered in the working.
SSP Sidhu said that legal opinion was taken before registering the case. “Akash Verma had deterred the public servant from discharging duty. This sort of interference and misbehaviour cannot be tolerated.”