Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Aug 3: Four people including three locals and an employee of Lakhanpur Toll Plaza were injured in a clash between the two groups at Lakhanpur late evening.
The seriously injured has been identified as Deepak Mehra of Lakhanpur area. As per reports Deepak who is running a shop on the other side of Toll Plaza was on his way to his home after closing the shop late evening. He was stopped by the employees of TP , demanding toll which he refused to pay on the plea that he being a local is exempted from Toll Tax. This resulted in heated exchanges between employee of TP and him.
As Deepak was adamant in not paying the Toll the employees pounced at him inflicting critical injuries on his person. As the news spread, the local youth who too were on protest in the area demanding winding up of Toll Plaza at Lakhanpur rushed to the spot and protested. They also indulged in damaging the property of Toll Plaza. In the clash two local persons and one employee of Toll plaza also received injuries.
The irate people also blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for one hour in protest and shouted slogans against the authorities of Toll Plaza demanding its immediate winding up. The protestors also damaged the machinery at TP including computers and a maruti car forcing police to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the mob.
The protestors also demanded action against its employees responsible for inflicting injuries on the local businessman.
There was a huge jam on NH. However, the traffic was later restored on the intervention of police officers including SSP, Kathua, Shailendra Kumar Misra, Dy SP KD Bhagat and SHO, Lakhanpur Sandeep Chib. They pacified the protestors assuring action against the erring employees of TP. However no arrest was made as yet.
The seriously injured has been admitted in GMC Kathua for treatment. Police has also recorded the statement of Deepak.
SSP Kathua, Shailendra Kumar Mishra told Excelsior that police has registered a case against both the parties and also arrested six employees of Toll Plaza. He said action under law will be taken against the defaulters.
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