No link between NRI's assault and Kangana Ranaut slapgate: Himachal Police

Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Police on Monday said it was wrong to link two clash incidents, including a Punjabi NRI, in Khajjiar-Dalhousie tourist circuit in Chamba district with BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's slap row.

It said, "The conduct and behaviour of local people and the image of the state police are being tarnished without ascertaining facts".

In one incident, Paramjit Singh, who is the Assistant Sub-Inspector with Chandigarh Police, had come to visit Khajjiar and parked his Toyota Fortuner vehicle in the middle of the road, obstructing the traffic.

When police officials requested him to remove the wrongly parked vehicle, he got offended and started arguing with them, said Himachal Police in a statement.

An inquiry into the matter was conducted.

During the inquiry, the allegations levelled against police officials soliciting support from local taxi drivers to fight with tourists have been found baseless and false.

In the second incident, three tourists, including an NRI couple Kanwaljeet Singh and his Spanish wife, had visited Khajjiar from Amritsar city in Punjab.

During the probe, it has come on record that Kanwaljeet Singh and his brother Jeevanjeet Singh were forcibly holding hands of women tourists and local women on the pretext of practising palmistry.

This led to an altercation among the couple, tourists and locals.

The police intervened in the matter and brought the NRI couple to the Sultanpur police post.

The NRI couple refused to initiate legal proceedings in the case and did not undergo medical examination despite repeated requests by the local police.

Their statement was also recorded in which they refused to register the complaint regarding the scuffle, said the police.

It said both the incidents had no relation or connection with the Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut incident at the Chandigarh airport. There was also no altercation with local people regarding the incidents.

The incident involving the NRI has sparked a row with Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia demanding action from the Himachal Pradesh government.

"Himachal Pradesh Police is a well-disciplined, public-friendly police force and has high value of moral character. We always welcome tourists. Himachal Pradesh is a peaceful state," the police said in the statement.