Dalit protests during Monday’s Bharat Bandh have cost Ferozepur division of the railways Rs 1.98 crore in refunds to passengers of mail express as well as passengers trains. Out of this Rs 1.84 crore was for passenger trains, while Rs 14.45 lakh for mail express trains, revealed official spokesperson of Ferozepur division which covers half of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The details of other losses to railways are being worked and would also run into crores, revealed sources. Apart from this, railway property was damaged at three places in Ferozepur and interestingly, till the time of filing this report no FIR had been lodged. Tarlochan Singh, Inspector Railway Police Force, said, “FIR will be lodged by the evening.” However, officials had not even identified the culprits as yet out of the mob despite the fact that CCTV cameras were installed in the railway station of Ferozepur cantonment, DRM office and even near the local train. FIR with charges of damage to public property is set to be lodged against the mob. Apart from this, another FIR with an attempt to murder charges had been lodged against five persons by name and 25 unknown persons for attacking at police constable Pargat Singh in Bareta Mandi of Mansa district. After registration of FIR, Dalit organisations on Tuesday staged a dharna outside police station of Bareta demanding quashing of FIR and by late evening an inquiry was marked in this FIR. Ram Singh, a Dalit leader, said, “SSP Mansa marked inquiry in this case and soon after all those named in the FIR came at the dharna spot. We had no plans to hurt or injure anyone, it happened accidentally and hence attempt to murder charges should be dropped. We are hopeful that after inquiry, we will get justice.” Interestingly, two FIRs had been lodged in Bathinda in which one Vikas had been arrested on Monday itself while no identification was done in the case of unknown persons mentioned in the FIR who caused damage to public property. At Amargarh town in Sangrur district, markets remained closed even for the second consecutive day as Beopar Mandal under the banner of BJP stated that police forced them to shut their shops and hence they had even demanded action against DSP who was getting shops closed. However, on Tuesday afternoon, police officials themselves went to the market and got the shops opened. Prem Kapoor, president of BJP in Amargarh town, said, “Police misbehaved with us on Monday and today they themselves got shops opened. Police should not have got themselves involved with the bandh call given by Dalits.”
