Kotkapura traders observe complete bandh to protest ‘deteriorating’ law & order situation

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 28

The shopkeepers of Kotkapura here today observed complete bandh to register protest over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the town.

Hundreds of traders here staged a protest against the police. Residents and shopkeepers assembled near the main chowk of the town and raised slogans against the district administration and police for failure to check the rising crime.

Crime wave against shopkeepers

• Earlier, women were the soft targets of criminals but now shopkeepers had come on their radar, a protester said
• On Tuesday, two shopkeepers were attacked with sharp weapons by four miscreants at their shops. The victims were seriously injured

Speaker sandhwan expresses concern

• Expressing concern over increasing crime incidents in Kotkapura, MLA and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said he had apprised the DGP of the deteriorating law and order situation
• Sandhwan said he was told that such incidents were rising due to the shortage of police staff. The DGP was asked to chalk out an effective strategy to tighten the noose around criminals, he added

To pacify the protesters, Faridkot SSP Harjeet Singh reached the spot and assured them of increasing police patrolling and installing more CCTV cameras to keep tab on the movement of “criminal” elements in the town.

Following numerous incidents of snatching and loot in which shopkeepers were attacked by miscreants in the last few weeks, the protesting traders said there was an unprecedented rise in crime against them and the police had failed to take any preventive measures.

Onkar Nath Goyal, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said criminals did not fear the police and were targeting people randomly.

“Wearing masks and brandishing sharp weapons, the criminals are on a daily basis looting people without any fear of law,” alleged Goyal.

Earlier, women were the soft targets of criminals but now shopkeepers had come on their radar, a protester said.

On Tuesday, two shopkeepers were attacked with sharp weapons by four miscreants at their shops. The miscreants had inflicted serious injuries on the victims.

Expressing concern over the increasing crime incidents in Kotkapura, MLA and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said he had apprised the DGP of the deteriorating law and order situation in the area.

Sandhwan said he was informed that such incidents were increasing due to the shortage of police staff. The DGP has been asked to chalk out an effective strategy to tighten the noose around criminals, the Speaker added.

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