Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has spoken to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah seeking his intervention in connection with the case of an alleged assault on the family of a retired Sikh Army officer by miscreants in Bengaluru. Expressing concern over the brazen attack on the family members of retired Army officer Colonel RS Uppal, Singh also asked the Karnataka CM to provide protection to the family and directed the police to arrest the culprits immediately, a spokesperson said.
The Punjab government spokesperson stated that Siddaramaiah had assured Singh of all support from his government to Uppal’s family. “Uppal’s wife and two sons were assaulted. His son Harmeet, an IT professional working in the US, has received multiple fractures and other injuries. Taking cognisance of media reports, Singh decided to get in touch with the Karnataka chief minister to seek his personal intervention in the matter,” he said.
The spokesperson added that the Punjab CM decided to call up Siddaramaiah as Uppal accused the Bangalore police of failing to provide security to his family despite lodging complaints of threats received earlier from unknown persons.
According to a TOI report, the Bangalore-based retired Army officer had approached the Akal Takht–the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism–urging it to use its influence on the Karnataka government to give him justice in the case. “My son Harmeet Uppal was brutally assaulted and he suffered multiple facial fractures and a broken jaw. He had to undergo a 5-our surgery and has six plates in his mouth. He was also hit on the chest, head, back and limbs. My younger son, Harpreet Uppal, suffered multiple blunt injuries on head, chest, face, back and limbs,” Col RS Uppal (retd) wrote in a letter sent to the Akal Takht jathedar. He also alleged that they were called ‘Pakistani’.
His elder son Harmeet said his family had been receiving threats from people and had threatened them to sell their property and leave the city. He also alleged the miscreants had threatened to break the legs of his mother and outrage her modesty
