M A I N   N E W S

Cops, BKU(E) men hurt in clash
Chander Parkash and Jaswinder Paul Singh
Tribune News Service

Maisarkhana (Bathinda), July 24
As many as 15 activists of the BKU (Ekta) and 12 policemen were injured, some of them seriously, in a bloody clash here this morning.

After the clash, the policemen allegedly went amok and entered the houses of local residents on the pretext of chasing the BKU (Ekta) activists and damaged household goods, including expensive electronic gadgets.

The injured policemen have been admitted to Civil Hospital, Maur Mandi and Bathinda. One of them has been referred to Civil Hospital, Moga. The BKU activists, who suffered injuries, were getting treatment at a local religious place.

Mr Gurmail Singh, former member of panchayat, alleged that his mother Chitan Kaur, who was injured when the policemen beat her in the house, had been rounded up by the police and he did not know her whereabouts.

The villagers alleged that policemen had also rounded up the BKU (Ekta) activists who suffered injuries during the lathi charge.

Some women alleged that policemen misbehaved with them and took away their jewellery.

Mr Gobind Singh, a resident, alleged that policemen had taken away his four sons and beaten up three women of his family and snatched their earrings.

BKU (Ekta) activists have been jamming traffic on the Bathinda-Mansa road near this village for the past nine days to press the authorities to register a criminal case against those who drove Mithu Singh, a farmer of Sandoha village, to commit suicide.

The negotiations which took place between the BKU leadership and district administration in the past few days in this connection have not borne any result and the traffic jam continued.

Police officials who were present on the spot alleged that two activists of the BKU — Joginder Singh and Buta Singh — fired at the police party and other activists, pelted stone on the policemen, causing severe injuries to them.

The police used teargas shells to disperse them. However, the activists, who were wielding lathis, started attacking the policemen. The policemen used a mild force in self-defence.

Mr Sukhminder Singh, SDM, Talwandi Sabo, said that policemen did not resort to lathi charge. Only water cannons and teargas shells were used to disperse the BKU activists who were attacking the policemen with stones. He alleged villagers had themselves damaged their household goods to show the district administration and policemen in poor light.

He also claimed that the BKU activists and residents of this village inflicted injuries upon themselves by hitting themselves with the bricks and lathis. He pointed out that when the teargas shells were used, the BKU activists who had been jamming the traffic, ran towards the village and attacked a police party deployed there. He added that policemen used a mild force in self defence but did not resort to lathi charge.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that last night at about 2 am, three medical teams and fire engines were asked to reach Maisarkhana. The clash took place around 7.45 am.

Tension continues to prevail in this village against the alleged highhandedness of the police though the situation is under control. While the policemen have been camping at the bus stand of the village, a section of local residents has been camping in the religious place. Mr Buggar Singh, an elderly person, who also suffered injuries, was also lying in the religious place.

Mr Sukhminder Singh pointed out that a warning was given to the agitators to lift the dharna and facilitate the flow of vehicular traffic. When they did not pay any attention to the warning, first water cannons were used and then teargas was used to disperse them.

Mr R.S. Bhullar, SP (D), who was on spot, said that the policemen came under attack from the BKU activists and some policemen suffered severe injuries. He added that police party would stay in the village to avoid any untoward incident.

He feared the BKU (Ekta) leadership could kill its own activists to defame police authorities.

The TNS team found empty shells, bricks, stones and empty shells of bullets on the premises of local religious place.

Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, said that 12 policemen, three of them seriously, had been injured when they were attacked by the BKU activists. He added that cases had been registered against the attackers.

Mr R. Venkat Ratnam, Deputy Commissioner, said that BKU activists, who were in hundreds, started attacking the policemen without any provocation, only a minor scuffle took place between policemen and the BKU activists. He added that policemen did not resort to any lathi charge. The BKU activists were armed with lathis and other things. About 30 persons have been arrested.

However, the villagers pointed out that about 70 persons had been taken into custody by the policemen from the spot. They added that some of those who had been taken into custody, had suffered injuries when policemen resorted to a lathi charge on them.