Chandigarh, March 6 Following reports of policemen damaging nearly 125 vehicles, including cars, buses and two-wheelers, during a protest rally of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) here Friday, the Chandigarh police chief Saturday ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Chandigarh, March 6 (IANS) Following reports of policemen damaging nearly 125 vehicles, including cars, buses and two-wheelers, during a protest rally of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) here Friday, the Chandigarh police chief Saturday ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Inspector General of police Pradeep Kumar Srivastava has asked Superintendent of Police (Operations) R.S. Ghuman to probe the incident.
Over 2,000 HJC workers, led by party chief Kuldeep Bishnoi, had gathered at the Sector 25 ground here to protest the policies of the Haryana government Friday. They were stopped by police when they tried to jump barricades to march towards the assembly.
A clash ensued, following which police, assisted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), used batons, tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
But after that, the policemen reportedly went and smashed the mirrors of at least 125 vehicles parked close to the rally ground.
Mediapersons also experienced the wrath of police as their vehicles were damaged too.
'Actually police from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and CRPF were called to control the situation and it all happened just because of lack of coordination among them,' a senior official of Chandigarh police told IANS Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
HJC workers strongly condemned the police for damaging their cars.
'We had stopped protesting and were leaving the venue but police blocked our way and damaged our cars and buses. This is totally intolerable in a democratic country and we want strong action against the guilty cops,' Yogendera Nath Mehrotra, Rohtak district president of the HJC, told IANS.
Nearly 100 people, including 35 policemen, were injured during the clashes.
'We resorted to the use of force to control the agitating mob that was clearly going out of control. Around 35 police officials also sustained injuries during the operation. We have arrested 20 people in this connection and our investigation is under process,' said S.S. Srivastava, senior superintendent of police, Chandigarh, here Saturday.
