Locals protest against killing of trader in Patti
VENTING ANGER Protesters demand immediate arrest of the killers and strict action against the alleged negligence of police
TARN TARAN : Patti residents observed a complete shutdown in the city on Saturday against the killing of a wholesaler of cosmetic products, Ajit Jain, 60, in broad daylight by three unidentified car-borne men, who also took away ₹1.4 lakh that he was carrying, right opposite a bank on the Tarn Taran road in Patti.
The protesters, including members of the victim’s family, kept the body of Ajit Jain outside the Patti city police station and raised slogans against the police.
The protesters sough the arrest of the killers and strict action against the alleged negligence of police.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Darshan Singh Maan and superintendent of police (SP) Tilak Raj had to reach Patti in the afternoon for pacifying the protesters.
Mann accepted in public that the incident took place due to the police negligence.
He said, “It was a strict order from me to the Patti police for deploying a policeman near the bank, outside which the incident of shooting happened, but there was not a policeman on Friday.”
He said, “There was a home guard jawan deployed outside the bank, but he also didn’t take any action, despite having an SLR gun, when the miscreants opened fire on Ajit Jain.”
He said, “I have suspended station house officer (SHO) Tarsem Masih, assistant sub inspector (ASI) Panna Lal of the Patti police and home guard jawan Harbhajan Singh.”
He also assured the public that the killers would be arrested in four days and after which the protesters lifted their dharna from outside the police station and cremated the body.
This is the second incident in a week in the district.
Earlier, on Thursday, shopkeepers of Tarn Taran held a protest protested after around a dozen miscreants vandalised some shops and allegedly dragged some women in one of the city’s busiest market.