Punjab: Villagers continue dharna demanding case against ruling Badal family

Ropar, Jul 10: Residents of Behrampur Zimidara and surrounding villages continued their overnight dharna today demanding a case against the driver, ruling Badal family and owner of the bus which had allegedly killed a scooterist.

Swaran Singh (40) of Behrampur Zimidara village was knocked down and dragged along allegedly by the bus belonged to Dabwali Transport company owned by ruling Badal family yesterday on Kurali-Ropar road killing him on the spot, the protesters claimed, adding the driver fled after the incident.

The villagers have kept the body and raised slogans against Badal family and alleged that to save the guilty bus driver and Badals, police had booked an innocent car driver passing from there at that time.

The traffic on Kharar-Ropar road has been diverted via Morinda and all roads from Chandigarh to Ropar remained closed today also. Eyewitnesses have noted the registration number of the bus which was on its way from Chandigarh to Amritsar, the villagers said.

However, police reiterated that a car was behind the accident and had arrested the driver Prabhbir for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"Car has banged into the scooter... its air bag opened... car is damaged", Ropar SSP Varinder Pal Singh has said yesterday.

The car driver, a resident of Amritsar, claimed he was behind the bus and was an eyewitness of the accident and have noted the registration number which was on its way from Chandigarh to Amritsar.

Also, Jagtar Singh, a dhaba owner of Chaklan village corroborated the car driver's version and said he had seen the bus hitting the scooterist.

Meanwhile, local leaders of AAP, Congress and even SAD joined the dharna and a number of political leaders are visiting the protest spot.

PTI