Kangana slap row: 3-member SIT formed; farmer outfits take out march in support of CISF woman constable

Chandigarh, Jun 9 (PTI) A three-member special investigation team has been formed in connection with the incident in which BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by a CISF woman constable, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, several farmer outfits, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, took out a march in Mohali in support of CISF woman constable Kulwinder Kaur.

Farmer leaders demanded that a fair investigation should be conducted into the matter while asserting that there should not be any injustice with the woman constable.

They also handed over a memorandum to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Garg, seeking an impartial investigation into the incident.

Mohali Superintendent of Police Harbir Singh Atwal said that a three-member SIT has been formed under his leadership.

"There will be an impartial probe into the matter and the report will be submitted to the SSP Mohali," Atwal told reporters.

A woman police officer will also be part of the SIT, police said.

Adequate security personnel were deployed in the wake of the farmers' march, which began from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher asserted that it should be found out what led to the incident.

There should be no injustice with the woman constable, he said.

Farmer leaders also lashed out at Ranaut for allegedly making provocative statements against the people of Punjab.

Kaur was apparently upset with Ranaut over her stance on the farmers' protests. The CISF, tasked with providing security at the airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.

The Mohali Police has booked Kaur under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint). Both are bailable offences.

Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by the constable during a security check at the Chandigarh airport, the ugly fracas breaking out two days after she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

In a video statement titled "Shocking rise in terror and violence in Punjab" posted on X after she landed in Delhi after the incident on Thursday, Ranaut said she was safe and fine.

The constable, Ranaut had said, came towards her from the side.

"She hit me in the face and started abusing me. I asked her why she did it and she said she supports the farmer protests." "I am safe but my concern is that terrorism and extremism are increasing in Punjab... How do we handle that?" Ranaut had said.

Another video doing the rounds on social media showed the agitated constable talking to people presumably after the incident.

"Kangana made a statement (earlier) that farmers were protesting in Delhi because they were paid Rs 100 or Rs 200. At the time, my mother was one of the protesters," she said in the purported video. PTI CHS VSD AS AS