Residents thrash delivery boy for not keeping cylinder inside

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 1

Amid Covid-19 lockdown, delivery workers of gas agencies on Wednesday, threatened to go on strike after a worker was beaten by a resident. The incident is said to have occurred in Lahori Gate area of the city, wherein, a 32-year-old delivery worker was allegedly beaten by a resident on Tuesday morning.

The gas agency workers complained that during a time when no one wants to venture out, people delivering the essential services did not deserve to be treated like this. The victim, Rajesh Kumar, said residents hurled abuses on him for not carrying the cooking gas cylinder inside his house. Narrating the incident, he said, “The resident asked me to keep the cooking gas cylinder inside his house. But I refused because we have already been strictly told by the officials to deliver the cylinder at the doorstep only — owing to the Covid spread.

The victim said he had gone to the nearby police station to file a complaint. Three to four police personnel searched the accused at his residence, however, he was not found.

In the meanwhile, the district Gas Agency Workers Union said that they would go on strike if the accused was not arrested. Kashmir Singh Billa, district president of the agency union, said that they were providing essential items in the critical situation, however, they were thrashed by the residents.

He said, “If no action is taken by the authority, we will go on strike.”

The union, on Wednesday evening, wrote to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), to take action against the accused.

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