Police Lathi-Charge Protesting Linemen; Three Die During Sewage Tank Cleaning

June

2026

Tensions escalated outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited headquarters in Patiala on 4 Jun when the police caned apprentice linemen who had been staging a sit-in protest, demanding recruitment and implementation of assurances made by the authorities. The police action led to the detention of several members of the 2600 Apprentice Linemen Union. Union leader Akash Kamboj alleged that the apprentice linemen have successfully cleared the required technical examinations and have been awaiting recruitment. The government had assured them that they would become eligible for employment after qualifying for a Panjabi language examination, which has been repeatedly delayed, and the protestors had not received any clear answer from the authorities. Protestors accused the police of using excessive force despite the protest being peaceful. At least ten protesters reported to the local government hospital. Superintendent of Police (City) Palwinder Cheema said the protesters had ‘locked both gates’ of the office and held common people and power corporation officials hostage for more than four hours, leaving them with ‘no choice’ but to use ‘minimal force’. Panjab Indian National Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the use of force against the protestors, saying visuals emerging from it were ‘horrible and bone-chilling’. Meanwhile, three workers, including a father-son duo, died while two others were taken ill after inhaling toxic fumes following a gas leak during sewage tank cleaning at a tool manufacturing unit in Ludhiana. The incident occurred at Deeps Tools, owned by Rajdeep Jain, where workers had been called in to clean the sewage. A police officer said they were investigating whether the management had delayed taking the victims to the hospital. Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana, Himanshu Jain said, ‘We have also sought a report from Punjab Pollution Control Board on the nature of the toxic gas and the circumstances under which the work was ongoing in the factory during night.’ The deceased were identified as Maan Singh, his son Amit, residents of Giaspura, and Shriram. A First Information Report for culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against the factory management. Additionally, a family from Moga district was left devastated when an uneven sewage manhole claimed the lives of a woman, Jyoti, and her six-month-old son Manvir Singh (earlier coverage).