Ludhiana: 22-year-old removing hoarding during shutdown electrocuted

After the man climbed a unipole to remove the hoarding, an iron rod he was carrying touched 11,000-volt power supply cables

A 22-year-old man died of electrocution in the city while trying to remove a hoarding of the Punjab government at Chandigarh Road during the Punjab bandh, which was called in protest against the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota of Mansa. After the man climbed a unipole to remove the hoarding, an iron rod he was carrying touched 11,000-volt power supply cables. The man, identified as Manpreet Singh of Kadiana Khurd, fell to the ground. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Road blockades disrupted normal life in several parts of Ludhiana and nearby towns. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Meanwhile, the bandh had a partial impact in the city. Road blockades disrupted normal life in several parts of Ludhiana and nearby towns. Protesters were seen in different parts of the city riding on tractors and holding flags, forcing shopkeepers to pull down their shutters. Only a few shops remained open in certain parts of the city.

Bus services remained disrupted at the city’s interstate bus terminal, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. The union of employees at the Ladhowal toll barrier also supported the protest by allowing commuters to pass through without paying toll fees. Later, members of various organisations gathered at the toll barrier and blocked traffic completely, leading to a spat with police personnel.

Several groups gathered at the Gill Canal Bridge on Gill Road and blocked traffic, raising slogans against the Punjab government. Members of various organisations, including Waris Punjab De, blocked the national highway near Basti Jodhewal Chowk and Samrala Chowk, two major intersections in the city. Traffic on the Ludhiana–Chandigarh road was also heavily affected.

The bandh’s impact extended beyond Ludhiana. Markets in Doraha and Samrala remained closed, while various organisations and groups staged protests in Jagraon.

Fourth bandh in over 2 months

The latest shutdown came amid a series of bandh calls in the region over the past two months. On September 9, a bandh was called over the alleged desecration of a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, bringing parts of Ludhiana to a standstill.

On August 21, a Punjab bandh called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha to demand the release of Sikh prisoners partially disrupted normal life. Several major markets remained closed, while protesters blocked key stretches of highways for hours.

Before that, on July 30, a bandh called by municipal employees’ unions and members of the Valmiki community over an alleged lathi-charge on sanitation workers in Barnala received a mixed response in Ludhiana.

BJP seeks govt job for victim’s kin

Expressing grief over the death of Manpreet Singh, who died of electrocution while removing a hoarding from a unipole, BJP Punjab spokesperson and co-media in-charge Pritpal Singh Baliewal urged the Punjab government to provide a government job to an eligible member of the bereaved family and grant adequate compensation to help them cope with the loss. He said the BJP in Punjab stood with Manpreet Singh’s family in this hour of grief and would take up the matter with the government to seek justice for them.

He added that the incident raised questions about administrative arrangements and safety measures. He demanded an impartial investigation and said action should be taken against those responsible if negligence was established.

DCP (rural) Gursewak Singh said the man was electrocuted when he came in contact with high-tension power supply cables. “The body will be handed over to the family after conducting a postmortem examination,” he said, adding that no other untoward incident was reported during the protest in the city.