52 booked on charge of stopping grain distribution

Our Correspondent

Nakodar, April 4

The Nakodar Sadar police on Thursday booked 52 persons on the charge of stopping the distribution of grain under a government scheme.

Station House Officer (SHO) Sikandar Singh Virk said: “The suspects have been identified as Jit Ram, former panch of Shiddam Station Wale village, Koki, owner of a welding shop and 50 unidentified persons of the same village”.

Nakodar Food and Civil Supply Inspector Sukhjindar Singh complained to the police that he sent a truck load of wheat for distribution under the Flour Gram Scheme to Siddam Station Wale village by truck no (PB 08 EL 3726). The truck was driven by Sarabjit, alias Saabi, a resident of Mohalla Santokhgarh, Nakodar.

He said the wheat was being distributed by depot holder Manjit Singh of Nawan Pind, adding that Manjit Singh informed him that at 6.15 pm he had distributed wheat to all card holders and the remaining 100 bags of wheat were loaded in truck to be taken to his village to stock it there.

But Jit Ram, Koki owner of welding shop, along with 50 other residents reached there and stopped the truck saying that wheat belonged to the village and would not allow to return.

He said the depot holder told them the curfew has been imposed in Jalandhar and you cannot stop the truck from moving this way.

Sukhjindar Singh said he reached the spot and tried to convince them but they started arguing with him and in the meantime the police reached there and they all fled away.

The SHO said ASP Vatsala Gutpa reached Siddam Station Wale village and directed the police to strictly deal with rioters.

She said a case under different Sections of the IPC and Section 5 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 had been registered against the suspects and raids were being on to nab them.