Five youths held for ‘manhandling’ police party

Our Correspondent

Una, February 21

The Una police last night arrested five youths for allegedly manhandling a police party at Thanakalan in Bangana sub-division, while three others are still at large. All the accused were reportedly in an inebriated state.

SP Dewakar Sharma said a police party led by ASI Baldev Raj from the Bangana police station was dispatched to Paroian village after reports that a vehicle carrying crates of liquor was spotted in the area. He said when they reached the spot, a group of men, who appeared to be drunk, were fighting with each other.

The SP said the youth were opposing the entry of a vehicle carrying liquor in the area after 5 pm, but on checking it was found that the driver had valid documents and the liquor was legally being transported by the contractor.

The SP said, moreover, as per law, there were no restrictions on transporting liquor after 5 pm. He said when the youth did not relent, the police party asked five drunken men to board a police vehicle for a medical examination.

He said when the vehicle reached Thanakalan village at 11 pm, a group of youths forced the police vehicle to stop. They freed the accused and manhandled the police party who sustained injuries.

The SP said a case under Sections 353, 332, 147 and 149 of the IPC had been registered and five persons namely Dinesh Kumar and Ravi Kumar from Paroian village in Una, Gurnam Singh from Bhoranj in Hamirpur district, Amit Kumar and Hem Raj, both residents of Bilaspur, had been arrested.

He added that three more persons, namely Shishan Pal, Surjit Singh and Rajesh Rana, who way laid the police party and were involved in manhandling the policemen, were still at large.