Power Shortage
Villagers thrash engineer, driver

Kaithal, July 2
Protesting against power shortage, irate villagers resorted to a road blockade near Sakra village in Pundri sub-tehsil in this district today and allegedly attacked UHBVN Executive Engineer SK Bhardwaj and his official driver, who fled from the scene and reportedly tried to take shelter in a nearby place, where they were kept in illegal confinement for some time before being rescued by a team of officials, including SK Bansal, Superintending Engineer, Kaithal SDM Hawa Singh and DSP Kuldip Singh.

The police has registered a case against these persons on a charge of obstructing officials from performing their duty and criminal intimidation.

Early this morning, residents of Sakra and the nearby villages, who were protesting against irregular power supply in their area, blocked traffic.

UHBVN SDO Virender Singh and Naib Tehsildar Om Parkash reached the spot and tried to pacify the agitated villagers and promised to look into their grievances. However, the protesters demanded that the Deputy Commissioner and some senior power board official should come and talk to them. Following this Pundri Executive Engineer SK Bhardwaj reached the site of the protest and was talking to the villagers when a rumour spread that the official had misbehaved with some villagers.