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Updated At: Jul 17, 2022 06:26 AM (IST)

Officials inspect the railway track at Khedar village in Hisar district on Saturday. Tribune photo

The police today registered a case of sedition among other charges against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, chief of the banned pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and his accomplices for damaging the railway track dedicated to supply coal to the thermal power plant in Khedar village of Hisar district late last night.

Police sources said unknown persons removed pandrol clips at around 60 points on the railway line about 400 yards from the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant in Khedar. This line is meant to supply coal to the power plant and is connected to the Hisar railway track.

A video clip surfaced on social media in which Pannu is seen claiming the responsibility for damage to the railway track. The speaker, in the video, said this was the beginning of their designs to block the coal supply to many thermal power plants in the country. He claimed his aides had removed the clips of the railway line to stop the coal supply. The 2.40-minute video also has visuals of two persons removing the clips of the railway line. They also wrote a slogan, “Khalistan Zindabad”, in Punjabi on a wall.

A police spokesperson said on the basis of the video and other evidence, a case under Sections 124A, 336, 379 and 120B of the IPC and relevant sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, IT Act, UAPA Act and the Railways Act had been registered at the Cyber police station in Hisar and a probe against Pannu and other unknown accomplices was underway.

Meanwhile, Hisar Superintendent of Police Lokendrer Singh along with Additional Superintendent of Police Pooja Vashisht and other officers inspected the railway line going inside the Khedar power plant. The repair work was also undertaken at the railway line.

Notably, the Khedar thermal power plant had recently been in controversy after villagers launched an agitation, demanding that the fly ash from the unit be given free of cost to a nearby gaushala. The dharna turned violent on July 8 when villagers accompanied by farmer organisations clashed with the police, resulting in the death of a farmer and injuries to three police personnel.

Following this, the police registered a case of murder and attempt to murder against around 800 villagers and arrested four in the case. However, the issue was resolved after BKU leaders Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni came in support of the agitation. Six rounds of meetings with the district administration settled the issue and the villagers announced to withdraw their agitation three days ago.

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The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

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