CHANDIGARH: Former Member of Parliament and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann and his son, advocate Emaan Singh Mann, are among 34 people booked by Chandigarh Police after supporters of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM) tried to force their way into the city on Independence Day, defying prohibitory orders.
Nine of them have been arrested and sent to judicial custody. For the first time, Chandigarh Police used drones to drop tear-gas shells on protesters.
Sources said the protesters attacked policemen and tried to breach multiple layers of barricades during the march towards Punjab Lok Bhawan. Mann allegedly disguised himself as a patient, with his head wrapped in bandages, and sat in an ambulance in a bid to slip past the security cordon near Punjab Lok Bhawan in Sector 6. He was taken into custody by Chandigarh Police along with three others — Dpinder Partap Singh, Gopal Singh and Gurpreet Singh.
Chandigarh Police registered four FIRs against 34 people at three police stations. Copies of all four FIRs are with TNIE.
In the first case, FIR No. 96 was registered at North Police Station against Simranjit Singh Mann, Dpinder Partap Singh, Gopal Singh and Gurpreet Singh under Sections 217, 223, 353(1)(b) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 9 of the Punjab Security of State Act, 1953, on the complaint of Varinder Singh. The complaint alleges that the accused violated orders issued by the District Magistrate and obstructed police personnel at Heera Singh Chowk.
Another FIR, No. 97, was registered at the same police station against eight people — Emaan Singh Mann of Fatehgarh Sahib, son of Simranjit Singh Mann; Rachpal Singh; Sant Baba Charanjit Singh; Jatinder Singh; Jasvir Singh; Gurpant Singh; Mandeep Kaur; and Rapinder Kaur Sran — under Section 223 of the BNS, following the assembly of a large gathering near Punjab Lok Bhawan as part of the march called by the QIM and allied organisations. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Vivek Kumar.
The third FIR, No. 106, was registered at Police Station East, Sector 26, under Sections 223 and 3(5) of the BNS and the Arms Act against nine people — Tarun Jain, Harkirat Singh, Fathe Singh, Gurshant Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Harjit Singh, Amandeep Singh, Avtar Singh, and Sandeep Kumar.
A police official said all nine accused, belonging to Ludhiana, have been arrested after police intercepted two vehicles at the Sector 7/8 dividing road. Four swords, two from each vehicle, were recovered.
The fourth case, FIR No. 137, was registered at Police Station Sector 36 against 13 people, invoking 12 sections of the BNS, besides provisions of the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Those booked are QIM leaders Bapu Gurcharan Singh, Gurdeep Bathinda, Sukhjinder Singh Khosa, Sukh Gill, Pal Singh, Baba Raj Raj Singh, Gurvinder Singh Bhangu, Surjeet Phool, Bhana Sidhu, Baljit Singh Khalsa, Lakha Sidhana, Amitoz Mann, and Navdeep Jalbera.
For the first time, Chandigarh Police used drones to drop tear-gas shells on protesters who tried to storm the Mattour barrier on the Sector 51/52 dividing road. The protesters tried to break through the barricades with swords, axes, spears and other weapons while raising slogans demanding the release of Sikh prisoners.
Tight multi-layered barricading had been put up across the Chandigarh-Mohali border throughout the day, backed by anti-riot vehicles, water cannons and Rapid Action Force personnel, to stop the QIM march towards Punjab Lok Bhawan.
The morcha, which has been agitating for the release of Sikh prisoners including Jagtar Singh Hawara, assassin of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, has called for a Punjab Bandh on August 21.