The police lodged a case against State Education and Sports minister Arvind Pandey and 18 other persons named in the case apart from more than 100 unnamed persons after the police post in-charge of Kundeshwari was allegedly manhandled. The incident occurred in presence of the cabinet minister when those involved in the mining and transport business protested against the police after four vehicles transporting quarried materials were seized.
According to sources, a large crowd of people aggravated after the police seized the vehicles congregated at the Kundeshwari police post. Some of them reportedly not only verbally abused the police post in-charge but also manhandled him. The police officer had to lock himself in a room for protection from the crowd. The situation improved after senior police officers reached the site. The high voltage drama of those involved in the mining business in the presence of the cabinet minister continued for about half an hour.
It is pertinent to mention here that some time ago, on allegations of illegal collection, the senior superintendent of police, Barinderjit Singh had reverted the then Kundeshwari police post in-charge to the police line. Arjun Giri Goswami was then posted as the in-charge of this police post. However, those involved in the mining business have been alleging that the police have been acting autocratically in the area. Vehicles are being seized without proper grounds and people are being manhandled, they further alleged. Irked at this, the members of the mining business fraternity congregated on Tuesday and held a meeting in which they expressed their objection to the functioning of the police.
From here, they along with the cabinet minister Arvind Pande, walked to the Kundeshwari police post. They reportedly became angry on sighting Goswami and in the presence of the cabinet minister also resorted to manhandling the police officer. The sub-inspector managed to lock himself up in a small room to protect himself from the irate crowd. He did not come out of the room until senior police officers also reached the site. While the education minister expressed dissatisfaction at the functioning of the police post in-charge, the senior officers assured that this would be probed into.
Talking to this correspondent on the phone, the additional superintendent of police, Jagdish Chandra said that based on CCTV footage, a case had been registered against 19 persons including the cabinet minister and 100 other unnamed persons for obstructing government work, violating model code of conduct and section 144. Four persons have also been arrested under various sections by the police.Meanwhile, those involved in the mining and transport business are planning to protest against the police on Wednesday.