PHAGWARA: Tension simmered at the JCT Mill Colony in Phagwara on Wednesday and Thursday as over a hundred labourers continued their dharna, demanding action against Umesh Garg, the Corporate Interim Resolution Professional (CIRP) of JCT Mill Phagwara, for allegedly threatening workers and misbehaving with women during a visit to their residential quarters.
On Thursday morning, around 120 labourers, led by Suni Pandey, the JCT Mill Union leader, marched to the SDM office in Phagwara and submitted a memorandum seeking strict legal action against Garg and his team. The memorandum alleged that the CIRP official had “used threatening language” and “behaved inappropriately” while asking the workers to vacate quarters they were occupying.
SDM Phagwara assured the delegation that no demolition of labourers’ houses would take place and that the administration would act if any wrongdoing by Garg was found in inquiry. Following this assurance, the protesting workers dispersed peacefully from the SDM office but continued their dharna at the mill colony, pressing for other pending demands such as the release of bonus and provident fund dues, and restoration of water and electricity supply in the residential area.
The confrontation traces back to Wednesday evening (October 29) when Umesh Garg visited the JCT Mill labour colony in an Innova car (PB-07-BY-6976). According to labourers, Garg directed residents to vacate allegedly encroached quarters and warned that the quarters might be demolished. The statement reportedly triggered anger among workers, and soon about 140–150 labourers, led by Ram Kumar, gathered and gheraoed Garg, surrounding his vehicle and raising slogans for their pending demands.
Garg later left the scene on foot, leaving his car behind. As the crowd refused to disperse, Inspector Usha Rani, SHO of PS City Phagwara, reached the spot with a police team late in the night to pacify the situation. The police requested the workers to allow Garg’s vehicle to be removed, but they refused, alleging that Garg had misbehaved with women and threatened to demolish their homes. The workers insisted he apologise publicly.
In a subsequent media statement, Umesh Garg denied all allegations, asserting that he had “not misbehaved with anyone” and that his visit was solely to caution those in illegal occupation of the mill’s quarters.
By Thursday evening, the situation in the colony was reported to be peaceful but tense, with police keeping a close watch to prevent any escalation. The dharna by JCT Mill workers, demanding financial dues and basic amenities, continues for the second day.