Protest over death of H1N1 suspect
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Sangrur, December 18
The declining faith of Punjab residents in the Punjab Health Department suffered further setback today when residents of Longowal, where some residents had held a team of doctors hostage after the death of a swine flu suspect yesterday, held a dharna to protest against the case against some locals, including two scribes.

After the silence of around 12 hours yesterday, the residents lost their cool today when they learnt that the police has registered a case under Sections 353,343,186,171 of the IPC against two scribes and some unknown persons on the complaint of SMO Longowal Dr O P Khangwal.

Upkar Singh, SDM, Sangrur, had promised to look into the matter following which protesters had given a safe passage to the team of doctors. “But since the SDM had failed to keep his words we do not have any alternative but to start protest to raise our voice,” said a protester.

Ashwani Kumar, a 35-year-old barber of Longowal died of suspected swine flu on the way to PGI, Chandigarh, yesterday. His death had agitated the members of his family so much that they locked up a team of doctors which had came to their residence for their medical examination.

The residents first downed their shutters and then arranged a protest march and finally sat on a dharna opposite the Longowal police station. The sudden change of mind of protesters caught the police napping and the latter had to start immediate measures to tackle the situation which seems to be going out of hands. At the time of filing of this report, protesters were sitting at the dharna opposite the Longowal police station.

The SDM said they were trying to solve the impasse between doctors and residents. “Since now it has become a problem between police and locals we have to look for an acceptable solution to all,” said SDM.

Harbans Singh, SHO, Longowal, said they had registered a case on

the complaint of the SMO and were trying to pacify the protesters.