Four days after the alleged police lathicharge on protesting sanitation workers in Barnala, the police have yet to record the statements of the injured, even as the Barnala DSP Satvir Singh has been suspended and Barnala City-1 SHO Inspector Lakhwinder Singh has been transferred to the district police lines.
State SC Commission Chief Visits Barnala
On Sunday, Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi, accompanied by other commission members, visited Barnala and met the sanitation workers injured in the July 22 incident who are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital. He said the commission had taken suo motu notice of the incident on July 23 and had sought a detailed report from the Barnala SSP by July 28.
Describing the alleged lathicharge as "highly condemnable", Garhi said the Commission would examine the police report and other evidence before deciding on further action. "The workers were lathicharged like animals. Around 12 of them are still admitted to hospital. We will ensure they get justice. I read the Punjab Police Rules last night," he said.
Injured Workers Demand FIR and Dismissal
The injured workers, including women, told Garhi that they wanted an FIR to be registered against all police personnel allegedly involved in the lathicharge and demanded the dismissal of the suspended DSP as well as the transferred SHO.
Some of the injured also alleged that they had been charged between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 each for treatment and medical examinations. Garhi directed the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to investigate the complaint and instructed the district administration to ensure free treatment and diagnostic tests for all injured workers through the District Red Cross Society. He said the victims would not have to spend "even a single penny" on their treatment.
Garhi Advises Union Against Accepting Congress Aid
While speaking to the media, Garhi also advised the Safai Sewak Union leadership not to accept financial assistance from Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, claiming that the latter would eventually let them down through his statements. Warring had handed over Rs 1 lakh to the union during his visit to Barnala on Saturday to support the treatment of the injured workers. Garhi later clarified that there was no need to return the money.
Review of Case and Bandh Call
Garhi subsequently reviewed the progress of the case with Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh and SSP Mohd Sarfaraz Alam. He also said the Sanitation Workers' Union had been asked to submit its statement before the commission.
Gulshan Kumar, district president of the Safai Sewak Union, said, "Our state leadership has called for a Punjab bandh on July 30 over the Barnala incident and other pending demands, including the regularisation of sanitation workers."
Background of the Incident
Eighteen sanitation workers and four police personnel were reportedly injured in clashes that broke out on July 22 after the district administration, with police assistance, began lifting garbage during the sanitation workers' strike. The workers opposed the move near SD College, where the police allegedly resorted to a lathicharge. Later, when protesters gathered at Handiaya Bazar and allegedly hurled garbage at the police, another round of lathicharge reportedly followed.
The sanitation workers had already been on strike, demanding regularisation and raising several other issues, with garbage continuing to pile up across the city.
