Punjab News Protest hotbed Bathinda sees 6,000 cases in eight years

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
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Punjab’s Bathinda and Muktsar districts, dubbed “VVIP zones” due to their association with the ruling Badals, have been the hotbed of protests and, in turn, registration of police cases since the SAD-BJP government took charge in the state eight years ago.
The Bathinda police zone comprising seven districts saw the registration of cases against 6,000 persons, mostly unidentified, during the period, as per data procured under the Right to Information Act.
Around 5,250 persons were booked in Bathinda district (represented in Parliament by Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal) and adjoining Lambi Assembly segment (home constituency of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal) alone.
Lambi, the native place of the Badals, saw cases being registered against 1,399 protesters between April 2007 and June 2015 -- Those sent to prison under IPC sections 107 and 151 (relating to breach of peace and disturbing tranquillity of an area) are not included in the data. Around 1,000 women too comprise among those booked in Bathinda and Lambi.
In some cases, charges of attempt to murder too were slapped on the protesters, who included unemployed, employees, farmers and labourers. The frequency of cases increased whenever elections approached.
In Bathinda city, cases have been registered against 3,850 persons, 2,207 of these at the Civil Lines police station. A case against 1,500 unidentified persons was registered in a single day on February 12, 2014.
At least 10 cases are pending in courts while the accused were let off with small penalty in 11 cases.
In Muktsar, cases were registered against 1,487 protesters, 1,399 of these in Lambi police station alone. A case was registered against 130 veterinary inspectors on December 3, 2011, while nine women were booked on March 25 this year.
Ferozepur saw cases being registered against 218 persons while 60 have been booked in Fazilka and 47 in Faridkot. Jagmohan Kaushal of Nagrik Chetna Manch said, “The police always try to deny the protesters their right to raise their voice for just demands. The practice is most prevalent in Bathinda.”
NK Jeet of the Lok Morcha Punjab alleged the state government had created an emergency-like situation in Bathinda and the protesters were even stopped holding peaceful protests. Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said the number of cases was high in Lambi as it was a VIP area.
Bathinda Inspector General BK Bawa did not respond to The Tribune query saying: “I am busy in a meeting, please call me later."
 
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