Traffic blocked, police resort to lathicharge

Phagwara, Jan 16 (PTI) Vehicular traffic was blocked nearChachoki canal here on NH 1 for nearly an hour today by familymembers of a dalit youth who was knocked down by a truck hereon December 25 last year, and villagers of their nativevillage Chachoki Colony and surrounding areas.

Police had to resort to lathicharge to get the trafficblockade cleared.

The family members of twenty-year-old Dharampal allegedthat no compensation had so far been given to them afterDharampal''s death and said his grandmother died of grief todayover his death.

The protesters demanded Rs five lakh relief to theaggrieved family.

The blockade was forcibly lifted by the police aftervehicles got queued up over a long distance on both sides ofNH 1 towards Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Meanwhile, Sadar SHO Ravinder Singh said only mildforce was used to disperse the mob.

He said a case under various Sections of IPCincluding 353 (assault of criminal force to deter publicservant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing publicservant in discharge of public functions), 283 (danger orobstruction in public way or line of navigation), 148(rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and Section 8-B/48 NH Actwas registered against Surti Ram, father of Dharampal, his sonParminder, a relative Balihar and others.