DSP to probe violence against Dalits

DSP(Hq) Badri Prasad has been handed over the investigation of violence against Dalits in Barwala,which took place yesterday. A dispute over earnings of Rs 15 lakh from shamlat land led to a fight between two groups in Barwala on Thursday. One of the group,belonging to upper caste community from Batour village,armed with sticks,attacked the Dalits at a local CPI office,who had gathered there. They were enraged that the Dalits had complained to DC Ashima Brar about them.

In the fight,Suresh Pal,Joginder,Satpal,Lakshman,Gyan Chand and Satpal were injured. “The other Dalits had locked themselves inside the office and some fled into the village and thus got saved,” said ASI Sushil Kumar,In-charge of Police Post of Barwala.

They injured were taken to hospital in Raipur Rani. Two of them,Suresh Pal and Satpal,were referred to Sector 6-based Civil Hospital in Panchkula city. All are reported to be out of danger.

Meanwhile the police registered the case under Section 3 of SC/ST Act and Section 148( rioting),149( for being a member of unlawful assembly) ,323( for voluntarily causing hurt),452( for trespassing) and 506( for criminal intimidation) of IPC against about 107 persons.

According to the police,Dalits were to meet DC on the day of violence. As the case was registered under SC/ST Act,only an officer of the level of DSP could investigate it.