Phagwara Dalit leader held in assault case

PHAGWARA :Ambedkar Sena (Mool Niwasi) president Harbhajan Suman, who was in the eye of storm since the violent clash between right wing Hindu groups and Dalit activists on April 13 midnight in Phagwara, was arrested by police on Monday afternoon. The arrest was made a day after the death of a Dalit man Yashwant ‘Bobby’ in the wee hours of Sunday. Bobby was cremated amid very heavy security arrangements in the town.
Even as Suman’s name figures in the FIR pertaining to the clash, in which murder charge was added on Sunday, but he has been arrested in a case of assault, house trespass after preparation of causing hurt and criminal conspiracy registered on Sunday. The case was registered on the complaint of a resident of Jagat Ram Soondh Colony in Palahi Gate area.

Soon after his arrest he was produced in a local court and was sent to judicial custody for 14 days. In this case, complainant Pawan Kumar had alleged that a few youths entered his house and assaulted him after being provoked by Suman.

Another Dalit activist Yash Barna was also rounded up by the police but police officials did not confirm if he was formally arrested or not.

Suman’s wife Purnima is a municipal councillor from Palahi Gate area. Soon after his arrest, over a hundred Dalit activists including women started dharna in front of office of SP Phagwara. To duck any pressure from his supporters, police had quickly produced him in court and sent him to jail under court orders.

General Samaj Manch has already been demanding Suman’s arrest. He was leading the activists of his outfit to install a hoarding in Gol Chowk to name it as “Sanvidhaan Chowk” in the late evening of April 13, to which right wing Hindu groups objected and clash took place in the midnight in which gun shots were also fired injuring two Dalits, including Bobby.

Manch leaders have been pointing out that earlier also he had illegally installed statues of Dr B R Ambedkar in public park in Guru Hargobind Nagar area, and later officials also failed to get it removed.

With Suman, it is first arrest from Dalit activists’ side as earlier four leaders of right wing Hindu groups, including mandal president of BJYM were arrested a day after the clash.