Amritsar, December 21
Residents of the border area staged a protest outside the Gharinda police station to highlight the issue of alleged police inaction in various cases and rising crime in the area.
The protesters said over 70 electricity transformers in the area had been stolen in the last few days but the police had failed to arrest even a single culprit, despite repeated requests by the affected farmers.
Area residents said over 40 buffaloes had been stolen during the recent times but the police had failed to take any action. The protesters also complained of increasing crime and open sale of drugs in the area.
Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader associated with the Border Area Sangharsh Committee, said: “The kidnapping of an elderly from the area by his son around seven days ago was the trigger point for the public as the police failed to take any action in the case.” He said they had given several representations regarding the issue by the residents but the police failed to act.
Randhawa said recently, a cop was also shot by the goons in the area. The protesters demanded from the police to tighten the noose around drug peddlers in the area.
Later, SP (D) Jugraj Singh reached the spot to pacify the protesters and said no criminal would be spared. Singh gave his mobile number to them and asked area residents to call him directly if the local police do not take any action on their complaints. He said the state government was committed to improve law and order situation in the state and the area residents would not face any problem in future.
