Villagers protest outside SSP office

Jaswant Shetra

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Jagraon, April 17

A large number of residents of Kaunke Khosa village near Jagraon today held a protest outside the office of SSP Jagraon. The protesting villagers, including several women, were demanding action against the drug peddlers active in the village.

The protesters first staged a dharna on the Moga-Ludhiana Highway and blocked the traffic for a few minutes. Following this, the protestors reached outside the office of SSP Jagraon Ravcharan Singh Brar and staged a protest. The villagers raised slogans against the police department for failing to arrest the drug peddlers.

The protesting villagers alleged that some drug peddlers have been selling drugs in the village openly. According to the villagers, these drug peddlers enjoy patronage of some leaders of the ruling party. Therefore, the police do not take action against these drug peddlers.

“A large number of youths of the village are getting addicted to drugs like heroin and smack due to their easy availability. Some residents of the village even appealed the people involved in drug peddling to stop this trade. Whenever the villagers raise voice against the people involved in drug peddling, they issue threats to the villagers,” said Kulwant Singh, a resident of the village.

“A few days ago, my son and a member of the village panchayat Jaswinder Singh informed the police about the drug peddlers active in the village. He even gave the names of some of the people involved in drug peddling, but the police did not take any action. Two days ago, some unidentified persons attacked my son and injured him badly,” alleged a protesting woman, Surjit Kaur.

The protestors demanded strict action against the people who attacked the panchayat member. The protesting villagers ended the dharna only after SSP Jagraon Ravcharan Singh Brar met a delegation of the villagers and assured them of taking a strict action against the drug peddlers within a given timeframe.

DSP Jagraon Harinderpal Singh Parmar said the police had registered a case against village sarpanch Jasvir Singh and seven unidentified persons under Sections 323, 341, 506, 120B, 148 and 149 of the IPC for attacking panchayat member Jaswinder Singh.

“Sarpanch Jasvir Singh has been arrested by the police, while other accused are absconding. The police have started a search operation to nab the culprits and they would be arrested soon,” said DSP HS Parmar.