Six hurt in dispute over transportation in Solan

Tribune News Service

Solan, August 18

A dispute over transportation work of a pharmaceutical unit led to a clash between the members of the Sirmaur Truck Operators Union (STOU) and Multi Axle Transport Union (MATU) at the Rampurghat area of Paonta Sahib last evening.

Trouble started when goods from a pharmaceutical company were being loaded into a multi axle truck and this was not acceptable to the STOU as a dispute was already brewing between the two unions over the distribution of work since the last two months.

Members of the STOU first warned the operators of MATU to desist from transporting the goods and later attacked them with cudgels which left six persons injured. The injured were rushed to the local civil hospital from where two of them were referred to the Medical College at Nahan as they had received serious injuries. The MATU members also alleged that one of their members Gita Ram was allegedly picked up by the STOU members and kept in confinement for sometime.

The agitated truckers blocked the national highway last evening after the clash and the situation was pacified after the arrival of the police.

However, MATU chairperson Harvinder Kaur got a separate case registered against the members of the STOU under Sections 451 and 504 of the IPC for trespass and causing insult as she alleged that members of MATU entered her house forcibly and insulted her.

Additional SP Vinod Kumar confirmed that a case under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 506 and 427 of the IPC was registered by MATU against the STOU for rioting, causing hurt, criminal intimidation and mischief.

The local administration was trying to broker peace between the two factions and a meeting had been convened by the SDM this evening where members of both factions would be present, said DSP Pramod Chauhan.

Naresh Gupta, president, All Himachal Truck Operators Federation, said it was a case of parallel unions and they should not be allowed to operate. He said either the dispute between these two groups should be amicably resolved or they should approach the federation for redress of their grievances.