Doctors in Chandigarh reattached a Punjab Police officer’s severed hand which had been chopped off with a sword in an attack by a group of fugitives in Patiala.
Doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh undertook a seven and half hour surgery to get the hand of Assistant Sub Inspector Harejeet Singh. He is now on his way to full recovery.
“I thank the entire team of doctors and support staff for their painstaking effort. Wishing ASI Harjeet Singh a speedy recovery,” the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted.
In an unforeseen turn of events, hand of an ASI was chopped off by some Nihangs who were stopped by police and asked to show pass while entering Vegetable market in Patiala. FIR has been registered in the incident which happened one day before festival of Vaisakhi in Punjab.
Curfew passes have been issued in Punjab to people who need to go out for essential services. It has been mentioned in the FIR registered against Balwinder Singh, Jagmeet Singh, Nirbhai Singh, Bant Singh and 2-3 unknown persons that around 5:30 am, white coloured ISUZU-DMAX was signalled by employee of Mandi Board to stop. Driver Nihang Singh was asked to show pass for buying vegetables and driver took the car by force inside Mandi(vegetable market) without showing pass. Then he turned it back and smashed it inside the main gate of Mandi thereby breaking it. With the intention of killing the policemen standing near barricade, he drove the car and policemen saved their life by jumping on the side. The car went ahead after striking in barricade and as barricade got stuck underneath the car, it was forced to stop. As the car stopped, Nihangs came out and took out their swords and sticks and suddenly attacked employees of Mandi Board and Police with their weapons.
Driver Balwinder Singh with the intention of killing ASI Harjeet Singh, attacked him on his head and ASI Harjeet Singh saved himself by putting his hand in front of head and the sword cut his hand from wrist and it fell off. ASI Harjeet Singh also fell down and he was attacked again. Other employees of Mandi Board and policemen were also attacked with sword and sticks. Also alot of damage was done as intentionally the Nihang Singhs slammed into Scorpio car of Police with their car. ASI Harjit Singh was referred to PGI from Rajindra Hospital where all policemen were taken for treatment. Case has been registered against Balwinder Singh under Sections 307, 323, 324, 326, 353,186, 332, 335, 148, 149, 188 IPC and Section 51, Disaster Management Act, 2005. Section 51 of Disaster management Act gives punishment of maximum 2 years for obstruction without reasonable cause if it results in imminent danger. Other sections of IPC are for attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, hurt by dangerous weapons, obstructing public servant in discharge of duty, grievous hurt on provocation, unlawful assembly with common object and disobedience of order by public servant.
The hand of ASI which had been chopped off has been re-implanted by a team of doctors at PGI after a surgery which lasted for approximately 7.5 hours. It was evaluated after surgery in which all flexors, tendons and nerves at the wrist were repaired with bony fixation done using 3k wires, that hand is viable and warm with good circulation. Curfew in Punjab is to continue till 30th April, 2020 as announced by Chief Minister.
-India Legal Bureau
Pic Credit: PTI