Hoshiarpur road blockade: Villagers protest mining case and alleged police excesses

Villagers in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, blocked a major road for four hours to protest a mining case and alleged police brutality, causing significant traffic disruptions until authorities promised an inquiry.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

Villagers in Hoshiarpur blocked the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road for four hours, protesting a mining case.
The protest was triggered by an FIR filed under the Mining and Minerals Act, leading to arrests for alleged illegal mining.
Protesters allege police brutality against a suspect in custody and demanded action against the involved officers.
Authorities assured a fair inquiry into the allegations, leading to the end of the road blockade and resumption of traffic.

Tension prevailed in the Chabbewal area of Punjab's Hoshiarpur district on Thursday after villagers blocked the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road for nearly four hours over a mining case and alleged police excesses.

Residents of Punj village, led by a local man Birbal, staged a sit-in at the main chowk, disrupting traffic and causing long queues of vehicles on both sides.

Commuters faced inconvenience during the blockade.

Police said an FIR was registered on Wednesday at Chabbewal police station under the Mining and Minerals Act on the complaint of Junior Engineer Amninder Singh.

The case names Rajeev Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar alias Baba of Punj village and Mani of Balima village for alleged illegal mining.

Two tractor-trailers were seized from the spot, the police said, adding that Rajeev Kumar has been arrested while efforts are on to arrest the others.

The protesters alleged that Rajeev Kumar was beaten in police custody and demanded cancellation of the FIR and action against the policemen involved.

Police diverted traffic through alternate routes, but commuters continued to face problems for several hours.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagir Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters, but they refused to disperse.

The protest ended after Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Dr Manpreet Shinhmar assured a fair inquiry into the matter.

Traffic resumed around 3 pm after the blockade was lifted.

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