Mohali, July 10 -- A protest over the disappearance of an 11-year-old boy turned violent in Baltana, Zirakpur, on Tuesday evening with agitators assaulting police officers who had turned up to manage the crowd. Four persons have been arrested and 50 others booked for blocking traffic and assaulting cops. The child, Roshan, a Class 6 student, had gone missing on Saturday. According to sub-inspector (SI) Gurpreet Singh, the boy was last seen leaving his home on July 5 evening after which he did not return home. "An FIR was registered the same day and efforts are on to trace him. We are scanning closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage and following every possible lead," he said. The protest began on Tuesday near the Furniture Market area in Baltana where dozens of people blocked the road, disrupting traffic and raising slogans. Around 7.15 pm, a police team led by SI Gurpreet Singh reached the site to manage the crowd. Accompanied by assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sulakhan Singh, ASI Ashok Kumar, ASI Nirmal Kaur, headconstable Gurpreet Singh, and constable Gurbinder Singh, the team attempted to pacify the protesters. However, the crowd turned aggressive when police tried to intervene as they stopped a motorcyclist attempting to pass through the blockade. "Some people began shouting and misbehaving. As we tried to assist a biker being targeted by the mob, they turned on us," said police personnel. In the melee, a sub-inspector's uniform was torn and several cops were left injured. The child's family, meanwhile, alleged that the police failed to act with urgency. "Our son has been missing since Saturday, and we've been sitting here since morning, pleading for help. Instead of helping us, the police used force and beat up those who were protesting peacefully," a family member said. Zirakpur superintendent of police (SP) Jaspinder Singh said, "We fully understand the anxiety and concern of the family, and efforts are on to trace the missing child. However, taking the law into one's own hands, obstructing public movement, and assaulting police personnel cannot be justified under any circumstance. Strict action has been initiated against those involved in the violence." The four arrested persons have been identified as Soni, a native of Uttar Pradesh currently residing in Sector 52, Chandigarh, Neelam, also from Uttar Pradesh and living in Hem Vihar, Manish, a resident of Vadhawa Nagar, Zirakpur, and Narinder Kumar fromPunjab Modern Complex, Zirakpur. The case has been registered under Sections 132/221 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 285 (causing danger, obstruction, or injury to the public), 191(9) (rioting), and 190 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita....