Infuriated over the Barnala police's dubious role in bringing the accused in the murder of a social worker, Pal Singh Pali of village Sanghera, here, infuriated Panchayat members of a large number of villages in Barnala, religious organisations, NGOs, and youth organisations held a massive rally to put pressure on the police for meteing out strict punishment to the accused.

The protesters, alleging that the police was trying to shield the accused, raised anti-police and anti-government slogans while marching through various areas of the town.

Addressing a huge gathering at the grain market, social workers Narayan Datt and Maghar Singh Kulriyan, state president of Kacha Arhtiya Association Vijay Kalra, alleged that the police succumbed to political pressure and tried to hush up the murder case. They took strong exception to the ‘fact’ that after public pressure, the main accused was included in column number 2 of the challan which was despite the fact that the murder had been committed 100 yards away from te SSP office that too in broad daylight over three months ago.

The speakers sought a free and fair probe by a senior official so that the real culprit behind the murder of Pali gets punished. They also warned the police and the government that Arhtiyas of the state would launch a fight for justice if free and fair investigation is not ordered into the case.

SSP, Barnala, Gurpreet Singh Toor told TNS that police has arrested two of the accused within 20 minutes of the crime. "We also arrested the third accused named in the FIR and he is in jail. The matter is sub-judice since he has filed an application in court,” the SSP said. "Since some protesters have given a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, so we will look into that also,” he said.

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