LUDHIANA: Heavy deployment of security forces in and around Latala village, 35 km from here, and sealing off of all roads leading to the village prevented the public and politicians from attending the bhog ceremony of Harjinder Kaur, who died recently after being tortured by Dehlon police.
The area in the vicinity of the village looked like a police cantonment. All the six roads leading to Latala, from Chhapar, Jand, Barundi, Bhaini Aroran, Kashin and Rangowar village had police up to three kilometers away from the place of activity, to which nobody was allowed to
Hundreds of people from neighboring villages and kith and kin of the deceased were turned back at these makes manned by police inspectors, DSPs and some black-uniformed commandoes.
The president of Shiromani Akali Dal (B) Parkash Singh Badal was stopped at Chandigarh village and went back after lodging a protest with the policemen on duty. He was accompanied by the Youth Akali Dal president Amrik Singh Aliwal convenor of Marxist forum Jagjit Singh Lyallpur, Samajvadi Janata Party state general secretary Kirpal Singh Aujla, Jaswinder Singh Balliewal, Jagjit Singh Ghungrana and others.
The presidents of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Baba) Baba Joginder Singh and general secretary of SAD (Mann), Sucha Singh Chhotepur, had to retreat and, were not allowed to go further. One newsman who sped past the naka, was chased by the policemen and sent back with gun toting policemen in tow.
The policemen had been posted at 3 a.m. and had orders not to allow anybody to go.to Latala.
Others said they were told not to go their fields. Two schools in the village also remained closed.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1992
