Fearing flood, villagers clash with cops over bundh
DSP among two injured as protesters pelt police with stones in Abohar; 80 booked
Abohar, August 21
A protest against the raising of a bundh near Sayeedwala village in the sub-division led to a clash between villagers and the police. The bundh was being set up to plug a breach in Abulkhurana drain.
The police resorted to lathicharge and fired about 12 rounds in the air to disperse unruly villagers who in turn pelted the former with stones.
Balluana Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Veer Chand was injured. The police has rounded up more than 20 protesters. A passerby, Raja Ram was also injured. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Basant Garg along with Deputy Superintendents of Police Raj Kumar Jalhotra and Veer Chand visited the site to monitor the arrangements to plug the breach. As hundreds of Sayeedwala residents protested against the bundh, more than 200 policemen were called. Sher Singh Ghubaya. MP, and Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, Balluana MLA, (both of the SAD) reached the spot.
Witnesses said when the officials decided to go ahead with raising the bundh, the villagers started pelting them with stones. The police tried to disperse the irate mob using lathies, but the former intensified the protest.
The Deputy Commissioner then ordered firing in the air as some stones hit officials and the mob appeared to be turning more violent. The bundh was finally erected after the police chased away the protesters. The police has booked 80 persons for the clash. As many as 39 of them have been identified.
Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar has expressed concern over the diversion of overflowing water from Sayeedwala to Khuyiansarwer, Telupura and Haripura villages of his (Abohar) constituency.
He feared that there could be clashes between residents of the affected villages if breach was not plugged.
DSP among two injured as protesters pelt police with stones in Abohar; 80 booked
A protest against the raising of a bundh near Sayeedwala village in the sub-division led to a clash between villagers and the police. The bundh was being set up to plug a breach in Abulkhurana drain.
The police resorted to lathicharge and fired about 12 rounds in the air to disperse unruly villagers who in turn pelted the former with stones.
Balluana Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Veer Chand was injured. The police has rounded up more than 20 protesters. A passerby, Raja Ram was also injured. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Basant Garg along with Deputy Superintendents of Police Raj Kumar Jalhotra and Veer Chand visited the site to monitor the arrangements to plug the breach. As hundreds of Sayeedwala residents protested against the bundh, more than 200 policemen were called. Sher Singh Ghubaya. MP, and Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, Balluana MLA, (both of the SAD) reached the spot.
Witnesses said when the officials decided to go ahead with raising the bundh, the villagers started pelting them with stones. The police tried to disperse the irate mob using lathies, but the former intensified the protest.
The Deputy Commissioner then ordered firing in the air as some stones hit officials and the mob appeared to be turning more violent. The bundh was finally erected after the police chased away the protesters. The police has booked 80 persons for the clash. As many as 39 of them have been identified.
Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar has expressed concern over the diversion of overflowing water from Sayeedwala to Khuyiansarwer, Telupura and Haripura villages of his (Abohar) constituency.
He feared that there could be clashes between residents of the affected villages if breach was not plugged.
troubled waters
- Residents of Sayeedwala village ask officials not to erect a bundh to plug a breach in Abulkhurana drain, but the latter refuse
- The villagers start pelting officials and policemen with stones
- Deputy Commissioner orders firing in the air as some stones hit officials
- A DSP and a resident hurt in the ensuing clash
