Probe ordered into damage of vehicles by policemen

Chandigarh, March 6 : The Chandigarh Police have ordered an inquiry into reports that policemen damaged nearly 125 private vehicles during a protest rally of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) here.

Inspector General of Police Pradeep Kumar Srivastava has asked Superintendent of Police (Operations) R.S. Ghuman to probe the incident.

More than 2,000 HJC workers, led by party chief Kuldeep Bishnoi, protested against the Haryana government policies Friday. The police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) used batons, tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

After that, the policemen reportedly smashed the windscreens and windows of some 125 vehicles parked close to the rally ground, the HJC said. Even vehicles of some journalists were damaged.

"Police from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana and CRPF were called to control the situation. It all happened because of lack of coordination," a senior Chandigarh police official told IANS Saturday.

HJC leader Yogendra Nath Mehrotra told IANS: "We were leaving the venue but police blocked our way and damaged our cars and buses. This is totally intolerable in a democratic country."

Nearly 100 people, including 35 policemen, were injured in the clashes.

Police said they used force because the mob was out of control. Twenty people were arrested, said Senior Superintendent of Police S.S. Srivastava said Saturday.