Congress threatens protest if FIR not registered against JE

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 27

The Congress has threatened to stage a ‘huge dharna’ led by its state president Kumari Selja on Wednesday if no FIR was registered against the junior engineer (JE) of the Municipal Corporation under the SC/ST Act on the complaint of councillor Pankaj Valmiki from Ward Number 6 for allegedly using casteist remarks against him.

Two Congress councillors – Pankaj and Akshay Chaudhary of Ward Number 17 – had entered into a clash with the JE in the Commissioner’s office in Sector 14 on Friday afternoon. The police had arrested Pankaj the same evening.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan alleged that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave directions to add Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) to the FIR against councillor Valmiki to oppress him and refrain him from getting bail. Section 307 of the IPC was a non-bailable offence. The Congress councillor was denied bail by a local court yesterday and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

On the complaint of JE Rohit Saini, the police had earlier booked Pankaj and Akshay and some unknown persons under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from doing his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 14 police station. Later, citing the report of medical evidence, the police added attempt-to-murder charge to the FIR.

Addressing a press conference at his house in Sector 8, Mohan said the Congress councillor was implicated in a false case.

He said the officials deployed at the MC office involved in hooliganism rather than solving people’s problems and the latest incident was a testament to their aggressive behaviour. Meanwhile, the police had lodged a DDR so far on the complaint of the councillor, but no FIR had been registered.

The case

Two Congress councillors – Pankaj and Akshay Chaudhary of Ward Number 17 – had entered into a clash with the JE in the Commissioner’s office in Sector 14 on Friday afternoon. The police had arrested Pankaj the same evening.

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