21 booked for issuing threats to seed dealers

Gagandeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 14

The police have registered a case against 21 persons, 15 of them are unidentified, for giving threats to seed dealers.

Seed dealers said the accused had threatened to set their trucks on fire if they would not hire the same from the Raman truck union.

The government has already banned truck unions in the state. The accused were booked after seed dealers lodged a complaint with senior police officials in Bathinda.

Complainant Davinder Kumar, who is the proprietor of Pakka seeds at Raman, said Jagdev Singh, who calls himself the president of the local truck union and a resident of Jajhal village; Goldy Bhaneka and Moni Kandewala, both residents of Raman; Bhuru, a resident of Kannakwal; Kewal, a resident of Raman; Vijay Khanna and 15 unidentified persons came to his factory yesterday at night and threatened him that if he loaded his material on any truck outside the Raman union, those would be set on fire.

Davinder said truck operators also threatened him and asked him to hire trucks from the Raman truck union.

He also mentioned in his complaint that the accused had also given same threats to the owners of Mahaveer Factory, Raman.

Members of the dealers association also protested at the Raman grain market and demanded strict action against the accused. Dealers also closed their shops.

Bowing to the pressure, the police have registered a case against the accused. Police officer Pargat Singh said a case under Sections 341, 506, 149, 384 and 511 of the IPC had been registered against the accused.

The police officer said the accused were at large but they would be arrested soon.