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High drama as sacked employees, Chandigarh sub-divisional engineer clash, cross FIRs registered
Members of the Chandigarh Subordinate Services (SS) Federation and outsourced workers got into a heated argument with a sub-divisional engineer (SDE) at the old building of the Chandigarh Civil Secretariat in Sector 9
High drama was witnessed during a protest by the members of the UT Subordinate Services (SS) Federation and outsourced workers at the old building of the UT Civil Secretariat in Sector 9 this morning as they got into a heated argument with a sub-divisional engineer (SDE) which turned violent.
Following the incident, the UT engineers’ association went on a pen-down strike and protested at the new civil secretariat building, demanding action against the protesting employees. UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur also reached the spot and as a complaint was received from both parties, a cross case was registered late in the evening at the Sector 3 police station.
How it started
Outsourced Class IV employees of the UT administration who are members of the federation led by Ranjit Mishra were protesting for re-employment of 28 members whose contracts were terminated last month.
According to the complaint given by Mishra to the police, the protest was going on at the old civil secretariat building when a SDE Baljinder Singh Chahal, came out. It was alleged that a woman protester went up to him and requested that the sacked employees be given jobs again. It was further alleged that Chahal pushed the woman and manhandled her. Following the incident, the protesting employees were enraged and argued with the SDE. The situation turned violent and the police were called.
On the other hand, Sandeep Chawla, general secretary of the UT engineers association, said SDE Chahal was attacked by the protesters as he came out of the building. They refuted charges of Chahal manhandling the woman.
“SDE Baljinder Singh Chahal was allegedly attacked by members of the Subordinate Services Federation and outsourced workers,” said Chawla.
Inspector Narinder Patial, SHO, Sector 3 police station said they received a complaint from both the parties and a cross case was registered. “We are examining CCTV footage into the incident,” he said.
On Chahal’s complaint, the case was registered against the protesters under Sections 117(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (use of criminal force on public servant), 351(2)/351(3) (criminal intimidation), 232 (threatening any person to give false evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Another FIR, under Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman) and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the BNS was registered against Chahal on the complaint of the protesters.
