Ludhiana MC team attacked during anti-encroachment drive

A complaint has been registered at the Division Number 3 police station. The incident has been videographed by municipal workers, which will be handed over to the police for investigation.

Chaos erupted in Mochpura Bazar after an anti-encroachment team from the Municipal Corporation Zone-A was attacked reportedly by a group of shopkeepers during a routine drive to clear encroachments on Thursday. The shopkeepers, angered by the confiscation of their goods, targeted the team’s vehicle and assaulted the municipal workers as well as intervening police personnel.

Two workers of the MC are said to have sustained injuries.

Tehbazari inspector Vipin Handa reported that the drive was part of an ongoing city-wide drive initiated on the directions of the MC commissioner to remove obstructions on roads and in marketplaces due to safety concerns during foggy weather. While most shopkeepers cooperated, some resisted violently.

“When we began confiscating the goods, a few shopkeepers attacked the team’s vehicle, looted it and used sharp weapons to assault staffers. Two municipal employees suffered injuries. They were taken to the civil hospital,” Handa said.

A complaint has been registered at the Division Number 3 police station. The incident has been videographed by municipal workers, which will be handed over to the police for investigation.

Handa added that the shopkeepers’ actions disrupted official work. “We will continue the anti-encroachment operations in the coming days,” he said.