Faridkot (Punjab), Oct 1 (IANS) Traders downed shutters and locals took to the streets Monday in Punjab’s Faridkot town to protest Punjab Police’s failure to act over the kidnapping of a teenaged girl by a local gangster last week.
Under the banner of a newly formed Gundagardi Virodhi Saanjhi Action Committee, traders, local residents, NGOs, unions and other associations called for a shutdown here Monday.
The girl, a Class 10 student of a local convent school, was kidnapped from her house Sep 24 by an armed gang led by local gangster Nishan Singh. Her parents were assaulted by the gang and had to be rushed to hospital.
The protestors criticised police for failing to arrest the gangster and his henchmen and for not rescuing the girl.
According to reports, the girl was kidnapped by the same gangster in March this year as well. She returned home in August after police traced her in Kharar town, 15 km from Chandigarh.
Police had booked Nishan Singh for rape and kidnapping then.
“We have sent our teams to conduct raids at various places. We are trying our best to trace the girl,” a police officer said here.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh condemned the police inaction in the kidnapping case.
Faridkot is about 220 km from Chandigarh.
