NRI couple in Punjab repair street, face FIR for ‘digging it up’

CHANDIGARH: An NRI couple from the US, both in their late 60s and both former sarpanches of Jiwanpur Gujjran village, have been booked by Garhshankar police for digging up the street outside their home to increase its height, so that there was no waterlogging. The couple said they removed the interlocking tiles in front of their house and relaid the same day, after raising the level of the street, as it had sunk over time and water would collect there everytime it rained.The couple said they had to cancel their tickets for the return journey and now they were living in fear of the case “for facing the FIR over such a minor issue”. According to the FIR, Garhshankar block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) forwarded a resolution passed by the panchayat of Kiwanpur Gujjran, which said the street was dug up without informing the panchayat or getting approval from it. It reads that the police found offences under sections 79, 324(4) and 3(5) of the BNS, —intentionally causing damage to the property and action intended to insult the modesty of a woman, including spoken words — were made out against Sohan Lal and his wife Surinder Kaur.“The sarpanch’s husband came there when the work was on and objected, and then a case was lodged against us even as I explained to the officials of the panchayat department that no damage was caused and the street was intact. It was a very minor issue, but we had to cancel our return tickets and now we fear police action,” said Lal.Sarpanch Jaswinder Kaur’s husband Kulraj said he saw the dug-up street and informed his wife. “When she objected, the couple used foul and abusive language. When we wrote to the department, they got the street repaired,” he said. Garhshankar BDPO Manjinder Kaur said following a complaint from the panchayat, a junior engineer reported the damage. Garhshankar SHO Gagandeep Singh said that they registered the case as the complaint was forwarded by a govt office, the panchayat department.