Five Policemen, Including DSP, Evade Arrest Nine Months After FIR in Nalagarh Torture Case

Five Policemen, Including DSP, Evade Arrest Nine Months After FIR in Nalagarh Torture Case

Nine months after an FIR was lodged against five policemen, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), for allegedly torturing an informant and his wife at the Nalagarh police station, the accused continue to evade arrest. The sixth accused, woman Head Constable Chanderkiran, was arrested on Sunday.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court had rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of the five policemen in August, yet they remain at large. A case was registered against them on December 27, 2023, based on a medical report and orders from a Nalagarh court. The accused are alleged to have used third-degree interrogation methods on the couple, causing a severe ear injury to the young man during remand.

The case has since been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Among the accused are DSP Lakhbeer (currently posted at Baddi), former SHO Kuldeep Sharma, Sub-Inspector Ashok Rana, Constable Sunil, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Kalyan. All five are reportedly missing from duty and avoiding arrest, according to police sources.

DIG (South Range) DK Chawdhary stated that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the accused policemen. The informant’s wife had previously made serious allegations under oath against the officers. A status report submitted to the High Court revealed that the accused had deleted 39-day-old CCTV footage related to the incident. The couple, who were being investigated for charges of cheating and forgery, had been interrogated by Nalagarh police when the alleged torture occurred.