Curfew was on Saturday lifted from three police station areas in the industrial town rocked by protests by migrant labourers over alleged snatching of wages from them.
The labourers, hailing mainly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, on Friday set afire some vehicles and clashed with police following which authorities imposed indefinite curfew in five police station areas.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ludhiana said curfew has been lifted from three police station areas of Division No 7, Sahnewal and Shimlapuri.
ADVERTISEMENT
The security personnel would, however, maintain a strict vigil in these areas.
The curfew would remain in force in two police station areas of Focal Point and Division No 6, he said.
Violence erupted in the area after a labourer Sube Lal, who had been robbed of cash during the day was allegedly not heard by police at the Dhandari Kalan Police Post where he had gone to report the incident on Thursday night.
ADVERTISEMENT
Migrant labourers re-grouped yesterday morning and indulged in violence in more areas, including blocking road and rail traffic passing through the town.
Police used fire gas and batons to quell the protests. 15 policemen were also injured in the brick batting yesterday.
Police personnel, including eight battalions of the Punjab Armed Police and those summoned from neighbouring districts have been deployed in strength in the town to maintain peace in view of the agitation and also a religious congregation scheduled in the area later on Saturday.
Police personnel have been deployed in strength to ensure that the religious congregation to be attended by a large number of people passes off peacefully, the SSP said.
The traffic on the Delhi-Ludhiana-Jalandhar National Highway has been diverted via the Sirhind Canal by-pass road from Doraha in view of the tension at Sahnewal due to the protests by the migrants.
Vehicular traffic on other roads passing through the town has been restored. Rail traffic disrupted by the protests has also been restored.