Five bus drivers, one owner transporting labour to UP arrested with fake curfew passes in Mansa

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Mansa, June 14

The district police led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mansa Dr Narinder Bhargav on Sunday arrested six persons, including five bus drivers and one owner-cum-driver, for illegally transporting brick kiln labour back to their home state Uttar Pradesh with fake curfew passes.

The accused persons have been identified as Paramjeet Singh, Bunty Seth and Jasbir Singh of Bus transport Noor Chahal, Gomy Singh of Jogi Peer Bus transport, Balbir Singh of Sohal Bus and Amrik Singh of Bhai Behlo Bus service.

The police have also booked bus company owners identified as Surinder Kumar, Harminder Singh, Balkaran Singh and Manpreet Singh, all residents of Mansa district.

SSP Dr Bhargav said the accused drivers were transporting migrant labourers from different areas of Mansa to Mohoba (UP) in lieu of exorbitant fare.

He said that during checking, the police have recovered fake curfew passes issued from Additional District Magistrate Bathinda.

He said that the bus owners and drivers also didn’t take care of social distancing in the buses.

SSP Bhargav said after arresting the accused persons, the Mansa police had provided night shelter to migrant labourers and their families which included 150 men, 80 women and 115 children besides providing them breakfast, tea, RO water and lunch.

He said the police then arranged buses with valid passes for migrants’ comfortable movement to their destination Mohoba (UP) and medical screening was also arranged by the police.

Meanwhile, the case has been registered under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sardulgarh police station.