Victims protest police ‘inaction’ in post-panchayat poll violence case

As the Abohar police made no arrest in connection with an attack by some armed miscreants who had trespassed the house of Devi Lal, a lab technician in Birbal Dhani, 7 km from here, on Wednesday night, hundreds of men and women today staged a dharna outside the City-1 police station demanding action.

Traffic on the Abohar-Malout road was disrupted and vehicles had to be diverted to other lanes. Many political leaders and representatives of the BKU (Khosa) joined the protesters, who were demanding the arrest of the attackers without any delay.

MLA Sandeep Jakhar had earlier visited the affected family on Thursday and urged the police administration to take action.

Devi Lal said the winner in the election of Sarpanch came to his brother’s house to thank him for the support, but the opposition group allegedly could not digest it. Some miscreants forced entry and vandalised his house Wednesday night and damaged cars also, he added. His family members saved their lives by hiding in a store room.

The Abohar police had registered a case under Sections 331, 115(2), 199(3), 190, 61(2) and 35(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. However, only Rajpal Singh Bhatti of Dhani Danewala was named in the FIR even as the complainant had identified half a dozen more miscreants. The complainant alleged that the police administration was trying to protect the suspects under political pressure.

State BJP former vice-president Dhanpat Siyag, secretary coordinator Vandana Sangwal and Burjmuhar Colony sarpanch Amandeep Singh Dhaliwal also expressed solidarity with the protesters.

Abohar Municipal Council ex-president Shivraj Goyal said none of the miscreants against whom cases were registered in connection with recent panchayat elections had so far been arrested, speaking volumes of the poor law and order.

Bubble Buttar and Sona Singh from BKU (Khosa) said the police should take strict action against all attackers.

Tejinder Pal Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural), reached the site and asked the victim to speak to SSP Varinder Singh Brar over phone. The SSP said action would be ensured within the next 48 hours. After checking the CCTV footage, all the suspects would be brought to book.