Lathi-charge on Thein Dam displaced;Court directs SSP Kathua to conduct preliminary enquiry

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Sub Judge (Spec-ial Mobile Magistrate), Kat-hua, Sunil Sangra in a significant order has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua to conduct preliminary enquiry into the allegations leveled by the affected persons of Thein Dam under Section 202 Cr.P.C and further directed the SSP, Kathua to submit the report thereafter in the court on or before the next date of hearing i.e. 10th September, 2016. The court also directed that the SSP Kathua shall also give the due representation to the applicants / affected persons of Thein Dam during preliminary enquiry. These court directions were passed in a complaint filed by Tajinder Singh, son of Bangali Ram, resident of Village Poonda Tehsil Mah-anpur District Kathua alongwith 14 more aggrie-ved persons of Thein Dam through Advocate Appu Singh seeking directions to the SHO Police Station Lakhanpur in terms of Section 156 (3) Cr.P.C to register FIR against Bharat Bhushan, Additional Dep-uty Commissioner, Kathua, Avtar Singh, Tehsildar Kathua, Bhoj Raj, Naib Tehsildar Kathua, Kuljeet Singh, Deputy Superi-ntendent of Police, Police Lines Kathua and Ripesh Sam-byal, SHO Police Station Lakhanpur.
Advocate Appu Singh appearing for the applicants submitted that on 1st August, 2016, the applicants alongwith 500 affected persons of Thein Dam belonging to 22 villages of Tehsil Basohli and Mahanpur were peacefully protesting near Golden Gate, Jakhatpur Morh, Lakhanpur at around 9:00 AM with regard to non-settlement of the issue of rehabilitation, compensation, submergence of un-acquired land and un-employment caused due to the construction of the Thein dam Project Basohli. While the demonstrators were peacefully protesting, the police came at around 9:15 AM and immediately thereafter the aforementioned officials from the District Administration also arrived at the spot. During the course of arguments Advocate Appu Singh further submitted that the police without any provocation and without giving the protestors a chance to respond to the situation started beating the demonstrators and this process of lathi charge continued for the next 30 minutes. The police not only pushed and slapped them but also hit them with shoes and verbally abused them with dire consequences. The police left no stone unturned in humiliating the women protestors physically and mentally. Women were treated worst than stray cattle when they were beaten up by lathies and dragged on the National Highway. The modesty of these uneducated women was outraged on the National Highway with their dupattas and chappals lying silent on the road and the air filled with their shouting, howling and tears.
Sunil Sangra, Sub Judge (Special Mobile Magistrate), Kathua, after considering the submissions of Advocate Appu Singh observed that the applicants have leveled serious allegations against the non-applicants who are Government Officials at District Headquarters in the office of Deputy Commis-sioner Kathua as well as in Police Department Kathua.
Sub Judge Sunil Sangra directed the SSP, Kathua to conduct preliminary enquiry into the allegations leveled by the affected persons of T-hein Dam under Section 202 CrPC and further directed the SSP to submit report thereafter on or before the next date of hearing i.e. September 10, 2016.