LUDHAINA (Punjab), July 14: Several Akali leaders and workers, who were staging a protest here demanding the arrest of Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjit Singh Bains in a rape case, were detained on Wednesday when they tried to ‘gherao’ the residence of Punjab Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, police said.
The protesters said despite being booked in a rape case on Monday, Bains has not been arrested yet.
Senior Akali leader Harish Rai Dhanda accused the minister of shielding Bains.
The protesters, including women, raised slogans against the Atam Nagar MLA and demanded his arrest.
The minister was in Chandigarh at the time of the protest.
Police personnel were deployed in strength and barricades were put up on roads to prevent protesters from going towards the minister’s residence at Model Gram here.
The police detained some of the protesters as they tried to ‘gherao’ the residence of the minister.
Those who were detained included former minister and MLA Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, senior Akali leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal, former MLA Darshan Singh Shiwalik, former mayor Harcharan Singh Golwaria and ex-minister Hira Singh Gabria.
An FIR was registered against Bains and six others on the directions of a court here.
According to a complaint lodged by a 44-year-old woman here, Bains allegedly raped her on several occasions in his office on the pretext of helping her financially.
However, Bains had earlier denied the allegations levelled against him by the woman. (PTI)
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