Hoshiarpur: In protest against the continuously rising incidents of theft in Garhshankar town, local residents and traders staged a sit-in demonstration outside the Garhshankar police station on Monday, led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee state member Advocate Pankaj Kirpal. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the thieves and effective action regarding the theft cases from the police administration.
Addressing the gathering, Advocate Pankaj Kirpal alleged that around 100 theft incidents have occurred in Garhshankar town recently, yet the police administration has failed to take any concrete action so far. He stated that the trading community is forced to conduct business in an atmosphere of fear and insecurity due to these recurring thefts. He noted that traders are already grappling with an economic slowdown, and these theft incidents have further compounded their concerns.
He warned that if the theft cases are not solved and the accused arrested within a week, the agitation would be intensified, and the police station would be besieged again next Monday. He also demanded that FIRs be registered for all theft incidents and a fair investigation be ensured.
Speaking on the occasion, Harvel Singh Saini remarked that Pankaj Kirpal has raised his voice in the interest of traders and that the police administration must take serious action regarding the theft incidents.
Pranav Kirpal, General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress, stated that the Congress party stands firmly with the traders and that ensuring their safety is the government's responsibility.
A large number of traders and local residents participated in the protest, including Harpreet Singh Sadhowal, Jasveer Singh Jassi Purkhowal, Kishan Sahota, Baggu Rana, Vaidya Amrit Lal, Chetan Kumar, Jai Singh Rana, Ravinder Malhotra, Manjinder Monowal, Karpool Singh, Sunil Bassi, Gurmel Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Jagtar Singh Sadhowal, Rohit Kumar Possi, Raj Kumar, and Deepak Kumar. 
As the sit-in was concluding, SHO Gaganpreet Singh Sekhon spoke to the protesters and assured them that the police would make efforts to arrest the accused involved in the theft incidents within three to four days.