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Ludhiana: Villagers demand FIR cancellation, protest held outside SSP office
The demonstrators, carrying placards and shouting slogans—“cancel FIR against panchayat members” and “file case against culprits” — blocked the Tehsil Road for several hours
The office of senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ludhiana rural, Ankur Gupta, turned into a protest site on Monday as hundreds of men and women, led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda), staged a protest demanding cancellation of the FIR lodged against the local panchayat and registration of a case against those accused of vandalism and casteist abuse.
The demonstrators, carrying placards and shouting slogans—“cancel FIR against panchayat members” and “file case against culprits” — blocked the Tehsil Road for several hours.
It is learnt that the Sadar Jagraon police had lodged an FIR against four members of panchayat and several other people after a man ended his life by consuming poison. The complainant left a suicide note alleging that the members of panchayat are humiliating him following a dispute over construction of streets in the village.
BKU (Ekta Dakaunda) state president Manjit Singh Dhaner alleged that vested interests framed an entire anchayat in a fabricated case after villagers collectively opposed the setting up of a biogas plant. “The unity of farmers and labourers rattled certain anti-people elements, who in turn hatched a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the suicide case being cited was in fact linked to domestic disputes, not the panchayat.
Supporting the protest, Panchayat Union Punjab president Saraj Singh Sandhu warned, “If false FIRs against panchayats are not cancelled, every village will descend into anarchy. We will take this struggle statewide if justice is denied.”
During a meeting with protest leaders, SP (headquarters) Raminder Singh Diol assured that within two days, an FIR would be registered against those named in the panchayat’s complaint, while the controversial FIR against the members of panchayat would be reviewed within 10 days. He also promised no arrests until the inquiry is completed.
Leaders Amandeep Singh Lalto, Jagtar Singh Deharka, Tarsem Singh Bassuwal, Gurtej Singh Akhara, Sukhjeet Singh Akhara and several women activists also addressed the gathering, vowing to intensify the agitation if demands are not met.
