AAP workers–Police clash near Railway Station Udhampur

The residents of Cherri Swail, Kawa, Baryal, Kashirah villages residing in the vicinity of Railway Station Udhampur alongwith activists of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Former Minister and Chairman AAP J&K SCC, held a massive protest outside the Civil Engineering Wing of the Railways Deptt Udhampur against the denial of ‘right of way’ to hundreds of households of the area. The protesters raising slogans against Railway Officers and AEM alleged undue harassment and restrictions on their movement by the said officers and sought initiation of criminal proceedings against the said functionaries of the Deptt. They were restrained from using the road between Cherri and Railway office Udhampur resulting in scuffle with the Police personnel deployed in hundreds in the area. The females’ protesters alleged manhandling by the Police officials at the behest of Railway officers and demanded initiation of criminal proceedings against them. They later submitted a memorandum in the office of Station Superintendent and DC Udhampur and further lodged an FIR with Police Station Udhampur against the delinquent officers for provocation, public nuisance, wrongful restraint, coercion, undue influence and harassment to public. The memorandum read as under:- “one Mr. Surinder Singh AEM Railways Deptt posted at Cherri Udhampur had constructed a wall on the entry point of PMGSY road in village Cherri Swail thereby restraining the entry of thousands of locals belonging to village Kawa, Cherri, Baryal and Kashirah. The matter was reported to District Administration Udhampur. In pursuance thereof, the ACR in his Capacity as Additional Magistrate, District Udhampur issued a Notice U/S 133 CrPc to the said officers of Railway Deptt Udhampur. The Railway officials including the said AEM and Station Superintendent however refused to even reply to the Notice issued by the Magistrate. The people thereafter approached the District Udhampur on several occasions and were told by the ADC Udhampur and ACR Udhampur that none had the authority to build barricades on a public road and that they were free to remove the impediments and other hindrances created in the way of free movement on the road constructed for public welfare. In consequence thereof, the public of the area cleared the impediments in the form of a two feet wall from the road thereby throwing it open for the public of the area. It is shocking however that the defiant AEM Surinder Singh had once again dug a pit on the said entry point thereby restraining the public from using the said road which is constructed by the govt at public expense. The said AEM and his few colleagues are even issuing threats to the local people to desist from using the road constructed by the PMGSY Deptt. The defiant posturing of these 2-3 Railway officials has not only created nuisance in the area but they have caused wrongful restraint besides denial of ‘Right of way’ to the people of the area. Not only that, these Railway officials have caused crores of rupees incurred on construction of said govt road to be rendered in-fructuous and unproductive by refusing traffic movement over the same for the last over two years.

The matter has been discussed dozens of times with the Railway Superintendent Udhampur and other offices who too have endorsed the public view of removing the un-wanted and un-warranted impediments from the entry point of the said road so that it could be used by the public and serve the intended benefit to the locals. It is painful however that despite lapse of around 2-3 years, no action has been taken by the concerned officers of Railways against the erection of the said wall by AEM Surinder Singh, an Engineer of the Deptt and wrongful restraint caused by him and his associates on a public road.

Pertinent to mention that the raising of the wall in the said area without any justification and without any requirement defies logic and rationale and seems to have been raised only to swindle the public money. It is a glaring example of abuse of tax-payers money and defrauding of public exchequer for which we reserve our right to agitate at the other appropriate forums as well. We wish to submit here once again that the deep pit dug by the said Railway officials has once again created huge resentment in the area and sparked massive outrage. The locals have once again filled up the said pit so that their “right of way” remains intact. But the notorious and corrupt elements are once again threatening to block the road for reasons best known to them.

The extremely culpable and defiant overtures of the said Surinder Singh and his accomplices, including Subash Chander have caused undue provocation amongst the locals which calls for due indulgence of law enforcement authorities. It is therefore requested to take cognizance of the criminal and fraudulent acts of the said Mr. Surinder Singh and Mr. Subash Chander and register an FIR against the said delinquents at the earliest.”