The Hindu : New Delhi News : Canadian national thrashed by cops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 07, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Canadian national thrashed by cops

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6. A 43-year-old Canadian national of Indian origin was allegedly beaten up by Central Industrial Security Force personnel while trying to enter the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on an open Air Canada flight ticket on Monday night. After keeping him in illegal confinement for nearly three hours, the CISF personnel handed him over to the area police, claiming that he sustained the injuries in a fight. One CISF sub-inspector has been placed under suspension in this connection.

Shamsher Singh Rai, who has been living in Canada since 1975 and owns a petrol pump there, arrived at the airport around 9-45 p.m. Though Mr. Rai showed the CISF personnel at the entrance his passport and an open Air Canada flight ticket, he was not allowed to enter.

According to Mr. Rai, he had booked the ticket for February 23, but his wife got it forwarded to April 4. "I tried to make the personnel see reason, but they directed me to the Air Canada counter to get the ticket attested. I told them that it was not possible for me to tug my heavy luggage along as no transportation was available. I asked them to help me get the ticket attested by the airline office, but they did not listen. Instead, they started arguing with me and one of them even grabbed me by my tie even as the other passengers watched. I felt insulted and asked them to behave," said Mr. Rai.

The CISF personnel -- who were from the Quick Reaction Team unit -- then allegedly forced Mr. Rai to accompany them to their control room. "At least four personnel started beating me without provocation. They punched me on my face due to which I started bleeding from my nose. My right eye was also swollen. They kept me in illegal confinement," alleged Mr. Rai, adding that it was only after the police arrived at the control room that his "life was saved".

The CISF personnel handed over Mr. Rai to the police around 1 a.m. claiming that he had fought with someone outside the airport.

However, when the police inquired from Mr. Rai, he narrated a totally different story.

After verifying the facts, the police took Mr. Rai to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment and brought him back to the police station this morning. Subsequently, a case was registered against the CISF personnel after Mr. Rai identified four of those involved. The shift in-charge, Ram Nivas, who was among them, has been placed under suspension.

Later, Mr. Rai checked in at Tara Guesthouse in Mahipalpur. "I cannot see from my right eye as it is swollen. I am planning to leave the country in a couple of days," said Mr. Rai.

Stating that Mr. Rai was in an inebriated state, senior CISF officials said appropriate action would be taken against the erring personnel.

Surprisingly, the incident comes nearly a month after the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, praised the CISF for its public dealing at its Raising Day celebrations. Also, the CISF recently claimed that it got an "overwhelming" response from passengers through its "passenger feed-back scheme".

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi