Alleging inaction, villagers hold protest outside Ajnala police station for 3rd day

The indefinite protest by residents of villages near Ajnala outside the local police station for action against culprits involved in various criminal activities entered the third day today. A delegation of the protesters held a meeting with senior police officials and apprised them of various incidents in which the police had failed to take action against persons who had committed various criminal activities.

The protest was triggered by a recent attack on Naujwan Bharat Sabha district president Jagga Singh and would continue till the police register a case against the culprits under relevant sections of law, the leaders added. Satnam Singh Ajnala of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha said the case registered against the accused in this case was not under the relevant strict sections. “We have demanded that the accused be booked for attempt to murder and other relevant sections,” he said.

The protesters are also demanding arrest of an accused who had married a 14-year old resident of Dalla Rajputtan village. They are further asking the police to help a local farmer who was beaten up by local goons and stopped from harvesting his crop.

Satnam said that there were several cases in the area where the police had allegedly failed to deliver justice under pressure from ‘politically connected’ persons. He added that residents of the area are fed up with the rising crime graph in the area and the recent attack on Jagga Singh was the flashpoint when they decided to fight for justice.

He said that criminal elements roam freely in the area even as they have FIRs registered against them in various criminal cases. “This erodes people’s faith in justice system. When poor people have to live in fear of criminals, it is a cause of concern,” said Shamsher Singh Dalla, a local activist.