Ludhiana: FIR filed after NHAI razed ‘illegal’ police post near national highway
Police have not named NHAI officials in the FIR but mentioned that accused turned up there on a JCB and razed the structure and stole the furniture
After making a failed bid to establish a police post on “encroached land”, the Ludhiana police invited another controversy by lodging an FIR after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) razed the “illegal” structure. However, the police have not named NHAI officials in the FIR, but they mentioned the accused turned up there on a JCB, who razed the structure and stole the furniture.
The FIR has irked NHAI officials, who took up the matter with senior officials.
In the FIR, lodged by ASI Ajitpal Singh, the police mentioned that unidentified accused, who turned up at Eldeco Police post with a JCB, have razed the structure. The FIR also mentioned that the accused stole one table, four chairs and one air cooler from the police post.
The police have slapped sections 305, 324(3), 331(3) BNS against unidentified accused.
The NHAI razed the “illegal” structure of police post Eldeco near Eldeco Estates, a posh locality, near Jalandhar Bypass, on Wednesday. The residents of Eldeco Colony were opposing the establishment of a police post outside the colony for a long time. A team of NHAI reached the spot and razed the entire structure.
The police had started construction of the police post on March 22. The locals staged a protest against the construction stating that the construction would narrow their way to the colony.
Navratan, NHAI official, stated that the NHAI had issued several notices to the local police to remove the “illegal” structure on their expenses, but they received no reply from the police department. In another communication, the police replied that they already have shifted the Eldeco Police post from the structure, and they have nothing to do with it now. After which the NHAI team removed the structure on July 17.
He said that he has no knowledge about the FIR lodged by the police.
Inspector Bittan Kumar, SHO at Salem Tabri Police station, stated that the PCR patrolling teams were using the structure as a halt point. Though the structure was “illegal” for the NHAI, they cannot steal the things kept there. The SHO added that the furniture, printers and even clothes of police personnel were stolen from the structure. The NHAI should inform the police before removing the structure.
