Ludhiana police assures speedy action in suicide case as hosiery, farmers unions come to head

Tension gripped the mini Secretariat after hosiery owners, workers and their family members came to head with members of farmers’ unions on Wednesday afternoon. The former group were staging a protest to demand immediate release of industrial Rajesh Jain, who was arrested after a farmer had ended his life. Protesters staging a sit-in against the arrest of the hosiery unit owner over abetment charges at the Police Commissionerate in Ludhiana. (Manish/HT) Members of farmers’ union reached the mini secretariat after hearing of the protest, seeking addition of more sections to the first information report regered against the accused. A farmer had allegedly consumed poison on August 11 and named the accused, his father and another person in a suicide note. The deceased’s brother had also lodged the complaint against the accused, saying that he had taken illegal possession of their property in Jainpur and was implicating his brother in a false case. The three accused had been booked for abetment at PAU police station on August 11. Addressing the latest developments, commissioner of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said a team has been formed to probe the incident and police will take action after investigating the matter thoroughly. Police personnel deployed to maintain peace stopped the farmers from entering the mini secretariat, following which they began shouting slogans against the police. The protest was held under the banner of Bahadur Ke Knitwear and Textile Association and was led president Tarun Jain Bawa. Ludhiana West legislator Gurpreet Bassi Gogi also reached the spot and the protesters along with the police chief, following which the sit-in was called off. Bawa said they had lifted the protest after receiving assurance from the police chief of speedy action. Members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) later also staged a protest at the Police Commissionerate, accusing police of not taking any action in the matter, following which, one of the accused was arrested.