Agnipath scheme: Violent protest, a planned conspiracy, say Ludhiana police after railway station vandalism

Police suspect a major conspiracy at play behind the violence that erupted at the Ludhiana railway station amid protest against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme.

According to police officials, the mob seems to come prepared as all those who barged into the station had their faces covered to conceal their identity and all of them were carrying sticks.

“If they had assembled to register their protest against the scheme, from where did they managed to get the sticks?” asked an official.

Division Number 8 police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons under the Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 440 (mischief in preparation for causing to any person death, or hurt, or wrongful restraint), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 148 (guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to the Public Property Act, against unidentified protesters.

Joint commissioner of police (JCP, rural) Ravcharan Singh Brar said the protesting youths were demanding a written exam for army recruitment which was not held after they cleared the physical test some time back.

The aspirants were called to assemble near the military recruitment office near Jagraon Bridge, where some miscreants joined them. The elements misused the aspirants and instigated them. They targeted police vehicles parked near Jagraon bridge and marched towards the railway station to the vandalise property there.

“The aspirants are connected through WhatsApp groups. Police have found some vital clues about the conspiracy to dent law and order in the city, under the pretext of protest against the Agnipath Scheme,” said the JCP.

“We are in the process of identifying the agitators who have been captured on closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) while creating violence. Most of them had their faces covered so it was a planned conspiracy,” he added.

Ludhiana police commissioner Kaustubh Sharma also said it appears to be a planned conspiracy. Police have beefed up security at public places in the city in wake of the incident. The police commissioner said the conspirators behind the violence will be arrested soon.