Dalit protests: 4,000 booked for blocking highway in Punjab’s Doaba

Dalit  Activists protesting during countrywide Bharat Bandh against the recent judgment by the Supreme Court on the SC & ST (Prevention) Atrocity Act 1989, in Ludhiana on Monday. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

A day after the bandh by Dalit outfits, over 4,000 unidentified people have been booked for blocking the National Highway in Punjab’s Doaba region. Ten FIRs were lodged at Jalandhar wherein over 1,000 persons were booked, and nine FIRs were lodged by Jalandhar (rural) police under which around 1,000 more were booked. Kapurthala police lodged five FIRs against 600 persons, and three FIRs were lodged by police in Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur against 500 and 1,000 persons, respectively.

Sources said the cases have been lodged under 145 (Joining in unlawful assembly), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 283 (Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 431 (Mischief by injury to public road, bridge, river or channel) and relevant sections of National Highways Act, 1956 against unidentified protesters. SSPs of all the districts confirmed lodging the FIRs.