Tensions between contractual transporters at the Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery in Punjab’s Bathinda and a local truck union escalated into violence with a truck driver allegedly being attacked, prompting the refinery to write to Punjab Police requesting their “urgent intervention in the matter”.
According to a formal complaint lodged by the refinery with the Bathinda police, a truck driver and his assistant were attacked outside the refinery on the night of July 20. The driver later fled from the hospital, allegedly fearing further attacks.
“The incident has created deep fear in the minds of transporters and their staff and truck crews. If unchecked, the incident will encourage the truck union members to carry out such violent acts with impunity in future as well, and consequently result in disruption of public order and safety,” the refinery said in a letter to the police.
The incident took place around 10.30 pm when an open-loaded truck that had just exited the refinery was allegedly chased and stopped by local truck union members. Truck driver Akhilesh Yadav and an employee of transporter Rajesh Kumar, Abhinav Yadav, were allegedly assaulted as the truck had been loaded without the union’s consent.
The refinery informed the police that Akhilesh sustained a severe head injury after being struck with stones wrapped in cloth, resulting in significant bleeding.
“After the incident, Mr Rajesh Kumar (owner of the vehicle) called Refinery Security Control Room at 2235 hours on 20th July 2024 and an ambulance from the Refinery promptly responded and transported Akhilesh Yadav to Government Hospital, Talwandi Saboo, where he was admitted for further treatment of his head injury,” the refinery’s letter to the police, signed by Gurjap Singh Gill, General Manager, Security, states.
According to the letter, Akhilesh received five or six stitches on his head. “Subsequently, the concerned transporter, under pressure from the local truck union, got Akhilesh Yadav discharged from the hospital on 21st July 2024. Since then, the transporter and the Driver/Munshi have not been picking calls, apparently out of fear,” the letter alleged.
The letter further urged the police to investigate the incident and arrest the persons responsible for the attack on Akhilesh. The police were also asked to ensure the safety of truck crews coming to the refinery.
A police official who did not want to be named said that they were looking into the complaint.
Rising tensions
The tension between the refinery’s contractual transporters and the local truck union has been simmering for the last month. Recently, 21 transporters had filed a complaint with the Bathinda police, alleging harassment and threats from people claiming affiliation with the local truck union, which is purportedly backed by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Baljinder Kaur. The transporters alleged they had received multiple threat calls, causing disruption to their operations and creating an unsafe work environment.
Local truck operators led by Gulab Singh had denied these allegations claiming they were merely seeking employment opportunities from the refinery and were being unfairly excluded by a syndicate of larger transporters. The refinery’s business should benefit local operators too, they added.
MLA Baljinder Kaur had referred to the ongoing issues between refinery officials and local truck drivers in a social media post, asserting that local operators should be allowed to work.
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