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LIT engineer manhandled: Seeking arrests, improvement trust staff goes on strike in parts of Punjab
An executive engineer of Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) was allegedly slapped during an anti-encroachment drive in Model House area
Seeking the arrest of accused Ravinder Singh Sonu for allegedly manhandling executive engineer of Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) during an anti-encroachment drive in Model House area here, the staff went on strike in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Moga and other parts of the state on Monday.
The staffers said that they will continue to protest until the accused is arrested by the police.
The staffers rued that an FIR has been lodged against the accused, Ravinder Sonu, but he has not been arrested yet. The staff members also met deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma and police commissioner, Rakesh Agrawal, over the issue on July 2.
LIT executive engineer Buta Ram said, “We had observed a strike on Thursday but the police have not been able to arrest the accused. Due to this, the staff of improvement trusts in other districts of the state also joined the protest on Monday. We will continue protesting until the accused is arrested.”
Station house officer of Model Town Rajanpal said, “Based o the complaint of LIT staff, the police have booked Ravinder Singh and six unidentified persons under section 353 (whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person being a public servant in the execution of his duty as such public servant), 186 (obstructing any public servant in the discharge of his public functions) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code. Further Section 332 (whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant), 448 (punishment for house-trespass), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC have been added to the FIR. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused.”
The LIT had to postpone the anti encroachments drive organised to raze encroachments from 3.03 acres of land in the Model house area on Tuesday. Ravinder Sonu and his family members opposed the drive and Sonu had allegedly slapped the executive engineer Jagdev Singh.
