Clash at Railway Station: GRP forms SIT to probe case

On Saturday, over 150 taxi drivers even took to protesting. Armed with wooden sticks and swords, they gathered outside the railway station and protested from 9 am till 1 pm, after which the police assured them of action.

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They then marched towards the Industrial Area, Phase 1, where they had parked their taxis. However, no major incidents of violence were reported.

According to eyewitnesses, a few of the passengers who did not know about the protest missed their trains. Some media personnel also alleged that the taxi drivers argued with them, and misbehaved with some passengers.

Talking to Newsline, DSP GRP Headquarters, Ambala, Suresh Kaushik, said, “A case was registered against both the groups last evening. We have now constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of five members under one of the CIA Inspectors, who will soon submit a report and subsequently action will be taken. One of the women Sub-Inspectors against whom the taxi drivers had leveled allegations of bribe has been shifted to the police station from her duty at the railway station.”

The taxi drivers said they would not resume services till the police took action against the auto drivers. “We have called off the protest, but we will not resume cab services till suitable action is taken by the police against the auto drivers. Four drivers were injured, and one of them, Gurmail Singh, is still admitted in hospital,” said Rajesh Kumar, president of the taxi drivers’ union.

During the clash on Friday, the mob had also vandalised autorickshaws and some other vehicles stationed in the parking lot.

According to the GRP, the clash had erupted due to tension between the two groups over passenger share. While the taxi drivers alleged that the auto drivers bribe the GRP officials and ferry their passengers, the auto drivers refuted the allegations.