Villagers protest attack on whistleblower

Our Correspondent

Palampur, August 14

Residents of Thural today staged a dharna in front of the local police post to protest the alleged indifferent attitude of the police in connection with the attack on Batthan panchayat up-pradhan and whistleblower Sat Pal.

The residents demanded the arrest of all culprits involved in the yesterday’s attack on Sat Pal during a Van Mahotsav function at the village.

They alleged that even as all culprits were seen in a video that had gone viral on social media, the police arrested one person and allowed another to go home. The residents claimed that the attackers were directly involved in illegal mining in the area for the past some months.

The Batthan panchayat and villagers had time and again lodged their protest with the authorities over illegal mining in the Neugal river. The names of the culprits were also given to Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hem Raj Baiwa and Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri through a memorandum, they claimed. However, no action was taken, the residents claimed, adding that they fear more such attacks if the culprits were not reined in.

The villagers lifted the dharna after the police assured them that the culprits would be arrested by evening.

SP Shalini Agnihotri, when contacted, told The Tribune that one culprit Hamid was arrested last night and was booked for murder bid. She said another accused had been identified as Akram. The police teams have been sent to arrest him and other accused.

Miscreants damage Zila Parishad member’s car

In another incident pointing to the deteriorating law and order situation in the area, a private car of Zila Parishad member Navi Thakur was damaged by miscreants last week. The vehicle was parked at her house at Kandwari village. As per Navi Thakur, some miscreants entered her house on Saturday night and damaged the vehicle with iron rods. The fled the spot after committing the crime.

She lodged a police complaint in the Palampur Police Station at 6 am yesterday. The police visited the spot and took pictures of the damaged car. No arrest has been made so far.