2 Dalits hurt in clash over land auction

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 26

Two men were injured in a clash between two groups of Dalits over the auction of reserved land at Jhaloor village in the district today. The administration has deferred the auction till further orders.

The police had sealed off the village in the morning to prevent the entry of outsiders. Lehragaga SDM Bikram Shergil, Moonak DSP Ajaypal Singh and Lehragaga Sadar SHO Dr Jagbir Singh, along with officials of the panchayat department, reached the village to conduct the auction. However, when the proceedings began at the SC dharamshala, members of a Dalit group objected to the presence of Pal Singh, who is facing murder charges.

“Pal Singh is among the 32 accused in the murder case of Gurdev Kaur. He has neither got bail nor did the police arrest him today despite our repeated requests. Pal tried to take part in the auction. When our members raised an objection, it led to a scuffle,” said Mukesh Malaud, district president of the Zameen Prapati Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC).

Malaud alleged that the police allowed Pal to participate in the auction as he wanted to take reserved land on lease for upper-caste men.

Pal Singh and Gurnam Singh were injured in the clash. Both were admitted to a Lehragaga hospital.

The Moonak DSP denied the allegations of bias. “They did not complain to us against Pal Singh. We have registered a case against five persons under Sections 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC. An investigation is being conducted,” said DSP Ajay Pal Singh.