Police brutality complaint prompts Punjab Court to issue summons

The District Court of Malout, Punjab has issued a summons to a top official of a police station, November 13, 2006, in response to complaints of police brutality filed by local Christians.

According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), a case was registered against Additional Sub Inspector (ASI) Hukam Chand Sharma by a group of local Christians who were exasperated by his acts of atrocity.

"In September 2005, a group of Christians were attacked by Hindu fundamentalists during a house prayer meeting in Malout. The family members of the house called the police who took three believers to the police station under the guise of giving them security. However, once the believers arrived at the station, they were severely beaten and some also had to be hospitalized," EFI reported.

"The same day Hukum Chand arrested senior pastor Sukhdev Singh Pana who was also beaten severely. The believers were released at 6:30 pm the next day, only after pressure from Christians both in and out of the Malout area," the evangelical body said, adding, "The ASI was finally suspended for a short time last year, after pressure mounted on the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) from the Christians."

The next date of hearing for the case is on February 8, 2007.

EFI has urged believers to pray so that the fundamentalists and the police who acted erroneously against the Christians are brought to justice.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) is a national alliance of evangelical Christians and is a central network of evangelicals in India. It exists to empower and mobilize the local churches, church related institutions and individual Christians for effective witness for Christ.