Patiala: The Punjab State Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognizance of the recent police lathicharge on protesting linemen outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters in Patiala. Escalating the matter, the commission issued a formal notice to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Patiala Police range, demanding a detailed justification for the use of forceful baton charges against the demonstrators.
In its strongly worded notice, the rights panel termed the indiscriminate lathicharge on members of the 2600 Apprenticeship Linemen Union as unjustified and highly oppressive. The commission questioned the law enforcement authorities as to why alternative legal methods and standard operating procedures were not utilized to disperse the crowd instead of resorting to direct physical force. The incident occurred on Friday during a demonstration organized by contract employees demanding job regularization. According to reports, the police action resulted in numerous injuries, including bone fractures, forcing several protesters to be admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital. It was also alleged that a police official snatched a mobile phone from a youth during the commotion.
Following the crackdown, the police went on to register a criminal case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against more than 160 protesters, identifying 12 of them by name. While 11 detained protesters were released on Saturday, the human rights panel maintained that the demonstration was peaceful and free of violence or rioting, even though the entrance to the government office had been blocked. The commission has directed the Patiala Range DIG to submit a comprehensive factual report at least one week prior to the next scheduled hearing of the case, which is set for July 17, 2026.
