Police pick up 46 Congress workers in murder case

Amritsar, June 29 (UNI) Congress activists today blocked vehicular traffic near Baba Bakala on the Rayya Mandi-Batala road, to protest against the rounding up of 46 party supporters by the police.

The blockade lasted for an hour and was lifted after the police intervened.

Confirming the police action, Amritsar Rural police here, claimed that only 12 persons were picked up by the police in connection with murder case registered against former Beas MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa and 11 others. He maintained that they were picked up only for questioning as they had figured in a visual CD recorded by a local channel showing the clash, which led to the death of a SAD worker during the assembly election campaign on January 29.

'They will be let off after investigations'', he said.

A copy of the CD is with the Election Commission of India (ECI) that had ordered the registeration of the case against Dimpa and his supporters involved in the clash. Dimpa, who is currently in judicial custody in the case was the Congress candidate from Beas and had lost the election.

Meanwhile Congress leaders of the Beas area, alleged that 46 persons were picked up by the police and had not been let off as yet.

They maintained that the police could have given a notice under section 160 of the CrPC to all those who were wanted in the murder case investigation.

UNI