Political Leaders Allege Mistreatment in Jalandhar Police Custody After Hotel Demolition Protest
In a dramatic turn of events in Jalandhar, sixteen leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party have come forward with harrowing accounts of their detention following a protest against the demolition of a hotel on Police Lines road. The leaders, who spent nearly ten hours in police custody, described being made to sleep on worn-out rugs and smelly blankets, sparking a political controversy in the region.
Detention and Allegations of Harsh Conditions
The protest erupted last evening after the Municipal Corporation initiated demolition action on a hotel owned by a local media house. Among those detained were prominent figures such as former MP Sushil Rinku, ex-minister Manoranjan Kalia, former MLAs Sheetal Angural and Rajinder Beri, Congress councillors Paramjot Singh Sherry Chadha and Dr Jasleen Sethi, Congress youth leader Angad Dutta, and BJP leaders Pardeep Khullar, Darshan Bhagat, and Ashok Sareen Hikky.
According to Sheetal Angural, the leaders were taken on a slow-moving bus tour around Jalandhar Cantonment for approximately one hour and fifty minutes before being brought to the Sadar police station. Their mobile phones were confiscated, and when a worker attempted to deliver food, he too was arrested by the police.
Angural detailed the uncomfortable night in custody, stating, "It was cold last night, and we were all separated from one another. Only two of our senior leaders, including Manoranjan Kalia and Sushil Rinku, were given cots to sleep on." Rinku added a twist to the tale, revealing, "They gave me a cot, but no blanket. When I asked for a blanket, they gave me one, but the cot was removed."
Legal Proceedings and Demolition Details
The demolition was set in motion after a local court dismissed a petition from the hotel owner at 5 PM yesterday. By 5:30 PM, civic body teams had arrived at the site. Senior advocate Mandeep Sachdev, who represented the leaders in court today, explained that they immediately filed a revision petition with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The High Court heard the case at 10 PM last night and issued orders to stop the demolition by 10:10 PM. However, by that time, the frontal portion of the hotel, including a boundary wall and parapet, had already been demolished by officials from the Town Planning Department using JCB machines.
Political and Public Reaction
This incident has ignited a firestorm of criticism from political circles, with leaders accusing the authorities of excessive force and inhumane treatment. The allegations of being forced to sleep on worn-out rugs and smelly blankets have raised questions about police protocols and human rights standards in custody situations.
As the story unfolds, it highlights the ongoing tensions between political activists and municipal authorities in Jalandhar, particularly in matters of urban development and legal enforcement. The leaders' accounts have been widely shared in media reports, drawing attention to the broader issues of protest rights and detention conditions in India.
