Protesting PSPCL Linemen In Patiala In Preventive Custody
Members of the union of unemployed linemen, who were on a dharna for the last twenty days for demanding jobs, faced a wrath from the police while they were taken into preventive arrest outside the main gate of the office of the Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) in the wee hours.
Total one hundred and sixteen linemen as well as their families have been arrested by more than five hundred policemen at approximately 3 50 AM while they were sleeping on a dharna outside the main gate of the office of PSPCL. They were allegedly forcibly pushed in the buses of police.
While the unemployed line men were sent to various jails in the district of Patiala, Rupanagar and Sangrur, their families were released by the police in far off villages of the district of Patiala and Sangrur.
The party of police which was led by the SP of the city Daljeet Rana and the SDM of Patiala Gurpal Singh Chahal led the team and arrested the line men under sections 107/51 of IPC. Those who were opposing the arrest faced the anguish of the police men said the sources.
The SDM of Patiala, confirming the arrests said that the arrest was done as section 144 has come in force in the whole state with the announcement of the polls of panchayat which have been slated for 3rd July.
He said that the chief minister has promised the union of the linemen for looking in their demands. The prolonged dharana before the office of PSPCL may spoil the peace of the surrounding area during the polls of panchayat. The president of the union Piramal Singh said that women were beaten up so mercilessly and even the children were not spared.
