An assistant sub-inspector was injured today after a group of people protesting against the "illegal" construction of an wall pelted stones at police team in New Dana Mandi on Phagwara-Hoshiarpur Road here.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Shaminder Singh Bhatti suffered injuries in the incident and had to be hospitalised, police said.
Alleging that the Mandi Board authorities had constructed a boundary wall on a common land, called 'Khakh Rube' land, gifted by the erstwhile Maharaja of Kapurthala state for public use, members of a community staged protest and called a half-day bandh in the city without any prior notice.
The Mandi Board authorities, however, claimed that the land belonged to the market committee and the boundary wall was being constructed after proper demarcation.
They also alleged that the wall was demolished by some people last night.
The protesters also alleged that some policemen had last night entered a religious place in local Palahigate area, which is close to the area where boundary wall was coming up, and used force on those gathered there.
Police, however, denied the allegation.
The construction of the wall resumed today after Deputy General of Mandi Board Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal and District Mandi Officer Rakesh Thapar visited the spot.
However, the work was abandoned mid-way in the afternoon after the settlement between protesting groups and the administration, when the bandh was withdrawn.
After the negotiations, Kapurthala SP (D) D S Dhillon disclosed in presence of SDM P P Singh that a committee, to be headed by Tehsildar, had been constituted to demarcate the 'Khakh Rube' land.
A probe panel, headed by Phagwara DSP Manjit Singh, was also set up to inquire into the allegations of policemen entering the religious place, said the SP.
