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Side story of Dharampur agitation
KUMARHATTI: Either it was blind anger of people against suspected biased role of police or dilly-dally approach of latter to act strongly that witnessed large number of people taking law into their own hands for well for over four hours on Kalka-Shimla national highway at Dharampur near here today. There was total anarchy on highway with administration and police merely turned to mute spectators. The hundred of motorists were left and dry who got stuck in traffic jam. For agitating people the Neelkanth, a hotel on highway side was main target whose owner’s son had come into a verbal duel with Gaurav (21) who committed suicide at his home in Dharampur last night following police pressure.
Those agitating told this reporter that Gaurav was upset after he was threatened by the police few days back. The deceased was being pressurized by Rishav the son of Mr. Radhe Shayam the owner of Neelkanth hotel and his uncles. Under sheer depression and failing to cope the pressure mounted by police and Rishav relatives, Gaurav decided to end his life. The boy who was assisting his father’s business of cloth shop in main market of Dharampur has not only ended his life last night but shattered the dream of his parents.
The helpless parents saw their young son battling for life last night hoping the doctors to save their son’s life. Next morning the inconsolable relatives of deceased gathered and started agitation. The agitation soon turned aggressive when locals joined the protest. The mob moved towards Neelkanth hotel before blocking the traffic in front of hospital. Besides smashing the windowpanes and water tanks of hotel, the agitating people also damaged the two cars parked outside the hotels. The things were put under control after Additional District Magistrate reached the spot and assured the agitators to take serious action on matter.
On the other side the police have blamed the deceased relatives to exploit the leniency of police on their protest. The relatives of deceased who reached from Punjab and other places have taken law into their hands, pointed out a senior police officer. Denying police suspicious role in the whole incident, the official said that the deceased was never ever pressurized by the police.
The people have made benefits of the fact the police preferred not to show aggressiveness to check the agitation, the official maintained.
