Chandigarh, May 15 -- Charging them with serious misconduct by illegally arresting and torturing a local activist in 2018, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), Chandigarh, has directed disciplinary action and criminal prosecution against four police personnel, including an inspector and sub-inspector. The final order, passed on May 8, 2025, affirms PCA's earlier tentative findings, dated February 24, 2020, which held the four cops accountable for misuse of authority, falsely implicating the activist and subjecting him to inhuman treatment in custody. The four cops facing legal action include inspector Ranjit Singh, sub-inspector Vidya Nand, assistant sub-inspector Raj Singh and constable Rajesh Kumar. The complainant, Vineet Verma had alleged that on July 28, 2018, he and an acquaintance named Gurbhajan Singh, alias Guti, were illegally detained and physically assaulted at the Manimajra police station. According to Verma's affidavit, he had visited the station to support his earlier complaint against hookah bars operating illegally in Chandigarh and Panchkula. But inspector Ranjit Singh subjected him to filthy language, ordered the seizure of his and Guti's mobile phones, and had them confined in the munshi's room. Verma further alleged that he was dragged to the police station's patio and brutally beaten up with slaps, punches and a baton, allegedly in the presence of his brother and others. He was also allegedly subjected to sexual abuse while in custody, including insertion of a bamboo stick in his private parts by police personnel. Subsequently, he was placed under preventive arrest under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC on the basis of a fabricated complaint. In response to the PCA's 2020 order, the director general of police (DGP), Chandigarh, had submitted a report defending the actions of the police personnel, citing Verma's apology before the SDM (the decisive authority in preventive arrest cases) and lack of formal complaints to the jail authorities regarding his injuries. The PCA, however, dismissed these justifications, observing that the DGP failed to counter the core findings of the authority and instead relied on superficial arguments already addressed. "The apology before SDM by the complainant could be out of compulsion to get rid of proceedings under Section 107/151 CrPC," the order noted. Reaffirming its earlier conclusions, the PCA ruled that inspector Ranjit Singh, SI Vidya Nand, ASI Raj Singh and constable Rajesh Kumar had engaged in grave misconduct and criminal behaviour, calling for strict disciplinary action and criminal prosecution. The PCA serves as an independent body to address complaints and allegations of serious misconduct, abuse of power, excesses and corruption against police personnel, ensuring justice for aggrieved citizens. Serious misconduct includes any act of a police officer that leads to or amounts to death in police custody, grievous hurt, rape or attempt to commit rape, arrest or detention without due process of law, extortion, land/house grabbing or any incident involving serious abuse of authority After investigating the allegations, the authority communicates its findings to the police officer heading the police force with direction to register an FIR and/or initiate departmental action against the delinquent police official based on such findings. The recommendations of PCA are binding unless the police administration disagrees with the authority's findings, with reasons in writing. Complaints to PCA may be submitted personally/by post (3 copies, along with enclosures, if any, supported with affidavit) at the PCA office at UT Secretariat, Sector 9-D, Chandigarh. A complaint in writing may also be dropped into the complaint box fixed on the wall of the PCA office or through email address: papcahd@chd.nic.inrh....