Ludhiana/Chandigarh, December 6
The police let down Ludhiana for the third consecutive day today and failed to prevent fresh outbreak of violence despite curfew in the city.
The curfew will continue to be in force on Monday as a precautionary measure and all educational institutions and establishments remain closed in view of the curfew and the “Punjab Bandh” call given by Sikh panthic organisations.
The cremation of Darshan Singh, who died in police firing on Saturday, however, was carried out amid heavy security. Later in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh for Darshan’s kin and a government job to a family member.
Tension continued to simmer in the city following the bandh call to protest Saturday’s violence. The decision was taken at a meeting in the Lohara Gurdwara by four-five Sikh organisations. They, however, resolved that only shops would be shut down.
No coercive methods would be used and no effort made on Monday to disrupt movements on road and railway tracks, they added. Essential services would be exempted from the bandh, they communicated.
SAD and the BJP, meanwhile, appealed on Sunday to maintain peace and harmony, after an emergency meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence.
Normal life was thrown out of gear. The police enforced curfew selectively, allowing movement in some areas. This resulted in fresh violence in the Eastman Chowk area on Sunday, when a mob attacked and injured five motorcyclists, who were admitted to Apollo Hospital, and torched their bikes. Their condition was stated to be serious but stable.
The injured were identified as Varinder Singh, Vicky Sharma, Mandeep Singh, Buta Singh and Jasbir Singh, all residents of Dhandari Kalan, a hub of migrant population. IG Sanjeev Kalra said inquiries revealed that one of the injured, Vicky Sharma, was a member of the Mauji gang and had two cases registered against him.
Asked how the mob gathered despite the curfew and why the motorcyclists had not been stopped by the police, Ludhiana SSP Dr S S Gill claimed that the injured were members of a motorcycle-borne gang engaged in snatching. He also claimed that the gang members were on a snatching spree when villagers of Daba outnumbered and overpowered them.
The curious explanation failed to hide the
ineptitude of the police which enforced the curfew selectively. Throughout Sunday, liquor vends in the city were allowed to conduct their business as usual despite the curfew.
Even when residents complained in several parts of the city, policemen chose to ignore the violation of the curfew. The administration also let down the residents by their failure to make announcements about the imposition and duration of the curfew. Many people were caught unaware as they ventured out in the morning, only to be turned back by policemen.
