Bhagwant Mann, AAP MLAs booked for rioting

Police have also registered a first information report (FIR) against around 800 unidentified AAP supporters

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab unit chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and seven-eight party MLAs, including Harpal Singh Cheema, Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Baljinder Kaur, have been booked on charges of rioting, assault and obstructing police from performing their duties during a protest outside the MLA hostel in Sector 3, Chandigarh, on Friday against power tariff hike.

HT Image

The police have also registered a first information report (FIR) against around 800 unidentified AAP supporters. No arrest has been made so far.

Police said four cops, including deputy superintendent of police (DSP, central) Krishan Kumar, inspector Malkit Singh, constable Vinit Kumar and woman constable Manpreet Kaur, who is the complainant, sustained injuries when unidentified protesters allegedly started throwing stones on them. Police had used water cannons to stop AAP leaders and workers from moving towards chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s residence.

Power rates in Punjab were hiked by 36 paise a unit with effect from January 1 for domestic consumers. AAP leaders alleged that power consumers were being forced to pay between ₹9 and ₹12 a unit which was much higher as compared to other states.

Police said the FIR was registered here against Mann and others under Sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 141 (unlawful assembly), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 148 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The protesters created law and order problem and violated the district magistrate’s order under Section 144 of the CrPC in the area, police said.

Rejecting the claim that AAP workers had assaulted cops on duty, leader of the opposition in Punjab assembly Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the Chandigarh Police for registering the case. “We will continue to raise the voice of the people of Punjab. We do not fear from going to jail. Being in opposition, we have to play our role and raise people’s voice, said Cheema.