Day after clash, security up in Phagwara, 2 FIRs lodged

Ashok Kaura
Phagwara, February 9

A day after a clash between two communities, tension prevailed in the town today even as business establishments functioned normally. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayab and Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh are camping here.

Phagwara SP Mandeep Singh, ASP Sandeep Malik and DSP Manpreet Dhillon are monitoring the situation. Additional police force of more than 350 constables and six inspectors has been summoned from Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr and deployed at sensitive places in the town.

The clash had taken place between youths of the Valmiki community and Shiv Sena activists at Baba Gadhia locality here late last evening.

Three youths, including Rahul Karwal, nephew of Shiv Sena leader Inderjit Karwal, and two Dalit youths, Nitin Kumar and Punit Kumar, sustained injuries. They were admitted to Civil Hospital.

Dalit youths alleged that the Sena activists first attacked two Valmikis, while the former claimed that Rahul’s shop was vandalised first.

Later during a protest near city police station, Dalit youths pelted the DSP’s Bolero vehicle with stones. A signboard of the police station was also damaged. The dharna was lifted after the intervention of senior police officers.

SSP Satinder Singh said on a complaint by Valmiki youth Nitin Kumar, they had registered a case against 12 persons, including Rahul Karwal and Akshya Karwal, on the charges of attempt to murder and damaging a motorcycle.

The SSP said in a counter-complaint, lodged by constable Sony Khan, they had registered a case against 80 Valmiki youths for damaging the DSP’s vehicle and a Roadways bus, tearing uniform of cops, and blocking the Phagwara-Banga road.

Panel formed 

To defuse tension between two communities, the two sides, in the presence of district authorities, on Saturday formed a panel and vowed to settle the matter amicably. A 14-member Saanjha Phagwara Parivar Committee, comprising seven members from each community, was formed in the presence of Kapurthala DC Mohammad Tayab and SSP Satinder Singh. The SSP said the committee would work to maintain peace and harmony in the town.