The widely condemned brutal attack on Ludhiana (Central) Tehsildar Major (Retired) Gurjinder Singh Benipal by alleged supporters of SAD councillor Kanwaljit Singh Karwal saw a major development with Karwal’s surrender on Sunday.

Karwal surrendered here before the Deputy Commissioner Vikas Garg following the articulation of deep anguish against the incident across all sections of society.

Terming the attack on Benipal as extremely unfortunate, various represenatives said there was no place for such incidents in civilised society. In a meeting of the Democratic Employees’ Front held under the chairmanship of its president Ramanjit Singh Sandhu, the employees demanded stern action against the accused who mercilessly beat up the Tehsildar.

The Universal Human Rights Organisation (UHRO) also convened a meeting condemning the incident. Expressing his concern, UHRO president Satnam Singh Dhaliwal said the incident confirms the possible fate of a common man in face of the government’s failure to provide security to its officials.

S S Channa, president of the Federation of Pollution and Park Management Committees, strongly condemning the incident stated, “In fact the councillor should have set an example for other people by coming to the Tehsildar’s office in queue that too on his terms.

Being an elected representative of the people, councillor should lead the people by example than throwing his weight on the government officials and pressurising officers to do their work out of turn.”

The Colonisers and Property Dealers’ Association President Kultar Singh Jogi and General Secretary Jatinder Pal Singh Saluja, though condemned the alleged attack but stated the behaviour of some government officials towards general public was not good. Jogi and Saluja said certain officials harrassed the general public and this incident is an indication that people are fed up of the government officials’ attitude.