Chandigarh Police booked at least 21 persons, including Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann and his son Emaan Singh Mann, after supporters of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM) attempted to force their way into the city on Independence Day, defying prohibitory orders, attacking policemen and trying to breach multiple layers of barricades, according to police sources.
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His son, Emaan Singh Mann, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, was among eight persons arrested in a separate case — FIR No.
A case, FIR No.
A case, FIR No.
Chandigarh Police booked at least 21 persons, including Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) chief and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann and his son Emaan Singh Mann, after supporters of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM) attempted to force their way into the city on Independence Day, defying prohibitory orders, attacking policemen and trying to breach multiple layers of barricades, according to police sources.
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Mann allegedly disguised himself as a patient, his head wrapped in bandages, and sat inside an ambulance in a bid to slip past the security cordon near Punjab Lok Bhawan, Sector 6.
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He was detained but was later released without formal arrest in view of his age, police sources said.
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A case, FIR No. 96, was registered at Police Station North on the complaint of ASI Varinder Singh under Sections 217, 223, 353(1)(b) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 9 of the Punjab Security of State Act, 1953. The FIR alleges the accused violated orders of the District Magistrate and obstructed police personnel on law-and-order duty at Heera Singh Chowk.
His son, Emaan Singh Mann, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, was among eight persons arrested in a separate case — FIR No. 97, registered at Police Station North under Section 223 BNS on the complaint of SI Vivek Kumar — after a large gathering assembled near Punjab Lok Bhawan as part of the march called by the QIM and allied organisations, police sources added.
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Drones deployed, barricades breached
In a first for the city, police used drones to lob tear gas shells on protesters who tried to storm the Mattour barrier on the Sector 51/52 dividing road, attempting to break through barricades with swords, axes, spears and other weapons while raising slogans demanding the release of Sikh prisoners, police sources said.
A case, FIR No. 137, invoking 12 sections of the BNS, the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, was registered at Police Station Sector-36 against QIM leaders Bapu Gurcharan Singh, Lakha Sidhana, Amitoz Mann, Baljit Singh Khalsa and others.
Separately, police intercepted two vehicles at the Sector 7/8 dividing road and arrested nine persons, all residents of Ludhiana, recovering four swords — two from each vehicle. A case, FIR No. 106, was registered at Police Station East, Sector 26, under Section 223, 3(5) BNS and the Arms Act, police sources said.
Police maintained tight multi-layer barricading, backed by anti-riot vehicles, water cannons and Rapid Action Force personnel, across the Chandigarh-Mohali border through the day to stop the QIM's march towards Punjab Lok Bhawan. The morcha, which has been agitating for the release of Sikh prisoners including Jagtar Singh Hawara, has called for a Punjab Bandh on August 21.
Investigation in all four cases is underway, police sources said.
