Mob violence grips Chandigarh
Express News Service
Posted: Sep 09, 2009

Chandigarh: Thousands of protesters clash with police : Go on rampage : One killed : 43 cops injured : 30 vehicles damaged : 12 burnt
Around 30,000 people went on rampage in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Members of the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) and workers of several other Punjab-based organisations had gathered in the city to protest against the proposed privatisation of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

The agitating mob held the city to ransom and attacked government and private property. In the resulting violent clash between the shocked Chandigarh police and the protesters, one person died, 50 sustained injuries, 30 vehicles were damaged, and a dozen vehicles were burnt. The injured include 43 police personnel, eight farmers and two media persons.

Mob goes berserk
The situation turned violent around 4 pm, when the protestors started pelting stones at the police at the Chandigarh Cricket Stadium roundabout in Sector 16. With their lathis, which were used in flags, they started assaulting the policemen on duty.

Within seconds the situation went out of control. The protestors, who outnumbered the police, started thrashing the cops. As many were drunk, they cornered the police personnel and attacked them.

According to the injured police officers and commandos, some protestors were carrying sharp-edged weapons, which were used in the attack.

Even after the mob dispersed from the cricket stadium roundabout, the situation continued to deteriorate.

The protestors assembled at the Hotel Parkview roundabout and started damaging private and government vehicles. Another clash started with the police.

More clashes took place in sectors 15, 16, 23 and 24.

“Around four of them held my arms and thrashed me with sticks. Later, one of them took out a sickle and hit it on my head,” said commando Ashwinder Singh. As the violence grew, more commandos were called in for help.

The person who died has been identified as Jagseer Singh (30), a resident of Bhatinda. He was standing on the roof of a moving bus when a branch of a roadside tree came in his way. He fell down and was crushed by another bus coming from behind.

According to a protester, liquor bottles were distributed before the clash.

“I was asked by our group leader to come to Chandigarh. I was told that liquor will be offered and I just have to raise slogans. I don’t know what they were protesting for,” Baldev, a resident of Rampura Phul village in Bathinda, said.

The situation was tense till the filing of this report, though the protestors had started leaving the city by around 7 pm.

The attack was planned: police
Accusing the BKU of holding the city to ransom, the police called it a well-planned attack. The protestors surrounded the police cordons by reaching the Sector 16 stadium roundabout from all sides, leaving no room for the cops to escape. Soon, they started pelting stones from all directions, forcing them to run for cover.

“Initially, the protestors assured us that they would not go beyond Sector 25.

But yesterday evening they announced that they would go till the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence,” IGP S K Jain said while addressing the media at the Police Headquarters.

“The protestors had come with bags full of bricks and stones. They used everything they could lay their hands on to attack the police — empty liquor bottles, stones and bricks,” SSP S S Srivastava said.

Traffic comes to a standstill
The city came to a virtual standstill. Buses carrying the protestors caused long traffic jams at various places like Dakshin Marg and the Sector 34-35 and Sector 35-36 roundabouts. Traffic situation around the Sector 16 stadium chowk was also affected.

The traffic police were on their toes and had to divert traffic. Those coming to the city from Mohali were the worst-affected, with the Dakshin Marg choked with buses and trucks.

The busy Mohali-Kharar stretch of NH-21 was also choked. Buses trucks, tractors, trolleys and other heavy vehicles overloaded with protesters were heading to the city since morning. The ongoing work to widen the highway added to the confusion. In the evening also, the 7.5-km long highway was clogged as the protesters started leaving.

Seen on spot
* After tear-gas shells went out of stock — over 100 shells used — cops ran for cover.
* UT Superintendent of Police (Traffic) H S Doon, SP (City) Madhur Verma and DSP (Central) Jagbir Singh were seen running for their lives, as the agitated mob attacked them with batons and bricks.
* Protesters indulged in eve-teasing as they ran berserk on roads without a cop in sight.
* They abused women and children and stopped traffic to make way for their buses and vehicles.
* They entered the green islands at roundabouts and ransacked them.
* An ambulance of INSCOL Hospital got stuck in jam at the Kisan Bhawan roundabout in Sector 35. It managed to proceed after 20 minutes.
* Heavy rush was seen at liquor vends, especially in sectors 22, 35, 23 and 24, as protestors brought liquor, drank on roads and attacked whatever came their way.

Damaged
* Hotel Shivalikview’s windowpanes smashed.
* 16 CTU buses and two Swaraj Mazda trucks damaged.
* More than a dozen private vehicles, including three cars and bikes, and three Punjab Police buses burnt.

Follow-up action
* Around 40 persons arrested.
* Four cases registered against protesters on charges of attempt to murder, rioting, causing hurt, criminal intimidation and damaging public and private property.
* Chandigarh Police to take up the matter with the Punjab government for stern action against BKU activists.

Severely injured cops
* Inspector Nityanand was hit by a liquor bottle on his head. He was rushed to PGI, where his condition is stated to be critical
* Inspector Harsahai sustained head injuries and has been admitted in PGI.
* Head Constable Kunti Devi got eight stitches on her head after a she was hit by a brick.
* Head Constable Balram Rana got nearly a dozen stitches on his arm after he was attacked with broken liquor bottles.
* Police commando Jagmeet Singh sustained injuries on right arm, Prem Kumar and Ashwinder Singh in right eye, and Rajinder, Pawan Kumar, Sushil and Prem Kumar received multiple injuries.