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Trio held for blocking toll plaza released on bail
Gurugram Three residents who were arrested by police on Wednesday morning for blocking the Kherki Daula toll plaza for an hour were released on bail on Thursday
Gurugram Three residents who were arrested by police on Wednesday morning for blocking the Kherki Daula toll plaza for an hour were released on bail on Thursday afternoon. They were produced before the duty magistrate on Wednesday night and lodged in judicial custody till October 16.
Sanjay Sharma, the brother-in-law of Yogesh, a resident of Sector 82, who was arrested, said, “Police acted without knowing who they are putting in the van. Yogesh had gone there, just like other residents, to protest for the removal of Kherki Daula toll plaza. Why didn’t they take those who were leading the protest?”
Another relative of Yogesh, Mahender Bhardwaj, said, “Yogesh is a simple person and is the sole breadwinner of the family. We haven’t told his father yet as he undergoes dialysis on a regular basis. A person with no criminal record being made to spend the night in Bhondsi jail is not acceptable.”
The trio was granted bail around 3.30pm by judge Naveen Kumar, presiding over court number 8.
Vinay Yadav, the counsel for the three arrested persons, said, “The judge only heard the matter for a few minutes and immediately granted bail. The sections which were imposed on them have not been removed. Now, a trial will take place and the next hearing is on October 16.”
The Manesar police have identified 160 residents, who were part of the protest and blocked passage through the Kherki Daula toll plaza on Wednesday, and are planning to send them notices. Rajesh Kumar, the deputy commissioner of police (Manesar), said, “We have zeroed in on 160 people who took part in the protest at Kherki Daula. Notices will be sent to them so that they can join in the investigation process.”
Bhupesh Yadav, the brother-in-law of Saurabh Yadav, a Sector 82 resident, who was among those arrested, said, “My relative, who happens to be a software engineer, was put behind bars for the blockade done by 200 others. This toll plaza mess should end.”
New sector residents are seeking a solution to the toll plaza issue. Kirti Singh, a resident of Sector 84 said, “We would like to amicably resolve this issue. Our representatives will meet the Kherki Daula villagers and request them to give us access through their village, by connecting the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) with their village road, so as to reach the expressway.”
Villagers, however, are not ready to relent.
Mahender Singh, a resident of Kherki Daula, said, “How can this happen when the plot in between belongs to a private party? The access cannot be given to them; we can’t have cars and trucks going through our village.”
The other four who have been named in the FIR are not planning to seek anticipatory bail, but plan to seek the government’s help to get all sections removed from the case. “The sections that have been listed in the FIR are heinous. We will request the Badshahpur MLA to take our demands to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and also get the FIR cancelled. Our next step would be to ask the toll officials to give us free monthly passes. If they accept our demands, we will withdraw the agitation,” said Lokesh Yadav, a resident of Sector 83, who has been named in the FIR.
Officials of the concessionaire said that the deputy commissioner must take the final call on the issue. S Raghuraman, chief executive officer, Millennium City Expressway Private Limited, said, “I can’t make this decision, the administration has to do so. If we give free passes to new sector residents, then the government should compensate us.”
