Phagwara: Dalit youth shot at during clash with members of pro-Hindu organisations succumbs to injury

The news of Yashwant’s demise has put the administration of all districts in Daoba on alert, and Phagwara has been turned into a police fortress. Phagwara has been sealed from all sides and the traffic on NH-1 has been diverted from Haveli restaurants to Goraya side. No vehicle is being allowed to enter Phagwara city. Police sources said that body was brought to Phagwara from Ludhiana via Banga (in Nawanshar) instead of taking the main NH-1 via Phillaur to Phagwara. The entire Valmiki Mohalla in Bansawala bazaar has been sealed.

Internet services were snapped around 12.00am last midnight. Tensions began rising since last evening after reports that Internet and SMS services would be unavailable from 11pm of April 28 till 11.59pm today in the four Doaba districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala, and Ludhiana, heightening speculation about Yashwant’s well-being. The Doaba region has a significant Dalit population, and tensions have remained high since the April 13 clash between Dalits and pro-Hindu organisations.

Given the sensitivity of the incident, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Ludhiana had deputed revenue officers to look after the arrangements while Kapurthala administration had deputed an SP along with a BDPO. In the past two weeks after the April 13 incident, Phagwara had been on the edge and nearly 2,900 police personnel including the BSF and Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been camping at Phagwara round the clock.