Transporters clash; six injured

SOLAN, May 20: Parwanoo town was rocked by more violent clashes between the supporters of the Transport Cooperative Society and local Truck ...

SOLAN, May 20: Parwanoo town was rocked by more violent clashes between the supporters of the Transport Cooperative Society and local Truck Operators Union yesterday.

Six persons were reportedly injured, one of them seriously in two separate incidents in which stones, lathis, hockeys and iron rods were freely used. Some persons were seen brandishing swords. Manohar, who was seriously injured, was admitted to ESI Hospital in Parwanoo. Four trucks were also severely damaged due to stone-pelting.

Heavy police force has been deployed to prevent any untoward incident from taking place. Additional Superintendent of Police K.K. Indoria was also camping at the town since yesterday to keep a close watch on the situation.

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The trouble sparked off when two trucks of Parwanoo Truck Operators Union led by Amarjit Singh Baba, a senior Congress leader, were forcibly stopped at a road leading to the Forest Corporation depot in Sector 4. The two trucks were stoned soon after coming to a halt, allegedly by a mob of nearly 100 persons belonging to the BJP-led Transport Cooperative Society, from a nearby hill.

A truck operator Ved Parkash, who along with others was injured, had lodged a FIR with the local police alleging that he and his colleagues had been assaulted by Sumer Chawdhary, Jaspal, Happy, Ramesh, Babloo along with nearly hundred others. He also alleged that the miscreants carried some sharp-edged weapons. The police have registered a case.

In another incident which also took place in Sector 4, some persons were injured and two trucks belonging to the Transport Cooperative Society were badly damaged. A FIR concerning this incident was also lodged by Harvinder Singh, alleging that some persons, including Amarjit Singh Baba, Ved Parkash, Anil, Manohar and Gulshan had attacked him and his associates when they were sitting in their trucks. He said that many persons including himself were brutally beaten by the attackers. The police also filed cases under various sections of the IPC.

Bal Ram Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Solan claimed that the situation was normal. The clashes were minor in nature and unlikely to disturb the peace, he added.