M A I N   N E W S

Mill workers lathi-charged
142 injured; seven cops also hurt
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Goindwal (Amritsar), May 2
As many as 142 workers of the Bawa Shoes Mill, mostly women, seven policemen sustained minor injuries when the police resorted to heavy lathi charge, this morning in the presence of the Subdivisional Magistrate, the SP and the DSP.

Workers alleged that the police opened fire in which two workers, Jaswinder Singh and Gurdial Singh received bullet injuries. The police and mill owners admitted that tear gas shells were hurled but it denied firing.

Mr Satya Pal Dang, veteran CPI leader, Mr Parduman Singh, vice-president, All-India Trade Union Congress and Mr Amarjit Singh Asal, CPI strongly condemned the lathi charge on “peaceful workers.”

Meanwhile, the Goindwal police has booked a number of workers under various sections for allegedly violating the court orders which prohibited them to assemble within 50 metres of the mill premises and for assaulting policemen.

The mill has 999 workers who had been on a chain fast demanding an increase in their pay scales. More than 75 per cent workers of the mill workers are women.

A newly wed Balwinder Kaur Ballu (25) alleged that the SDM and the SP slapped her in full public view. She alleged that the lady police was not present when the police resorted to heavy lathi charge.

Mr Asal alleged that the police took certain migrant families out of the mill premises and later beat them up mercilessly. The police chased the workers including women up to a distance of one kilometer.

The workers alleged that the injured persons were not admitted to any hospital as per the directions of the administration.

However, Mr Sharnpal Singh Juneja, one of the directors of Rs 30 crore turn over mill alleged that the workers had been causing huge loss to the mill by adopting agitational path. He claimed that no worker was injured in the police lathi charge. He, however, admitted that the police had to hurl tear gas shells to disperse the mob which allegedly tried to damage the mill. He said the salaries of workers were deducted as they were not performing their duties properly. However, the workers claimed that they were working according to the norms.

The workers alleged that Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Cooperation Minister was shielding the mill owners. 

SC issues notice to J & K Home Secy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 2
A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court today issued notice to the Jammu & Kashmir Home Secretary directing him to explain why action should not be taken against him for defying the orders of the court on filing of status report on undertrials in the state.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Dr A. S. Anand, Mr Justice R. C. Lahoti and Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju while issuing the notice on the Home Secretary’s failure to furnish information about the undertrials proviso in jails and related issues asked him to be personally present in the court on the next date of hearing, July 2, 2001.

Earlier the judges had directed the Home Secretary to be present in the court today.