According to sources, as the Managing Director Gurpal Singh's car entered the company office the employees surrounded the vehicle and did not budge. It was only around 3 p.m. that the MD was able to get out of his car and sat in the office reception area until 6 p.m. The employees prevented him from entering his office.

By 7:30 p.m. the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Superintendent of Police arrived and the MD shifted to the the conference room. On the request of the SDM and SP, the employees allowed Gurpal to enter the main office building, where he spoke with the SDM and SP.

PSIDC Managing Director S. S. Brar also rushed to the spot to defuse the tension.

On condition of anonymity, a woman employee alleged that at one point, around 3 a.m., police tried to help Gurpal Singh to flee; she said that the police lathi-charged the employees, injuring three. In the process, the MD's sweater was torn.

Referring to non-management employees' five-month wait for salaries (seven months in the case of management cadre staff) Punwire Marts Employees Union general secretary Hans Raj Verma said the gherao was undertaken as a last resort. He alleged that the MD and Executive Director have misappropriated funds and defrauded the company of hundreds of crores.

"In this regard, we have written to all high functionaries of the state of Punjab including the Governor, Chief Minister, Director General of Police, Director, Vigilance, and Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice.

He said that from the time the crisis has started to date, five persons have died and the company has yet to clear their dues.

Verma said that the gherao was lifted only after S. A. S. Nagar SDM O. P. Popli and SP B. S. Randhawa assured employees that company Executive Director Ved Prakash will be present at the meeting scheduled for Monday when employees' representatives are to meet company management, PSIDC and Ramesh Inder Singh, principal secretary. (Ved Prakash was not available at the time of the gherao.)

The union general secretary claimed that the matter would be tabled in the Board of Directors' meeting scheduled for November 30.

When contacted Popli confirmed that the meeting will be held in the PSIDC office and the Executive Director will be brought to the meeting. He denied that the Managing Director tried to flee at any stage or that police had lathi-charged the employees.

Punjab Wireless Employees Union general secretary Ramesh Kalia urged the institution of a high-level inquiry into the company's affairs; pending the inquiry report, he said that the MD and Executive Director should not be dismissed but a nodal body should be set up to monitor company working.

He said that the delay in release of a Rs 20 crore PSIDC loan has further set back production and mentioned orders worth 140 crore lying with the company.

Speaking to Newsline, Punwire Managing Director Gurpal Singh confirmed that the meeting will be held on Monday between the employees' representatives and Punwire management along with PSIDC officers; Ramesh Inder Singh has also been invited to the meeting. He denied that he tried to flee. As far as the Board of Directors' meeting is concerned, the date is yet to be finalised but salaries will figure prominently in the agenda to be tabled there, he added. He said that Punwire is working out modalities with PSIDC and the banks and the company will get a Rs 20-crore loan soon.