Kin of those missing struggle to find them

AMRITSAR: Days after violence broke out in Delhi during farmers’ tractor rally on the Republic Day, families of many of those rounded up, arrested or produced in court by the Delhi Police are yet to hear from their loved-ones.

On Saturday, Delhi Police admitted that it had arrested 84 persons and registered 38 FIRs in connection with the violence. It has, however, not released a list with details of those arrested. Cases have been registered for hoisting the Nishan Sahib (Khalsa flag) on the Red Fort and for clashing with the police. People in Punjab, Haryana and other states have complained that their family members who went to Delhi for the rally, could not be contacted, and had not returned home.

Considering their concern, some lawyers and organisations have launched a drive to find the missing persons.

“My colleagues in Delhi, Amarvir Singh Bhullar and Manpreet Singh, visited police stations and magistrate courts to get details of FIRs registered for the happenings on the R-Day. We have traced 40 persons, who have been arrested. Some are still missing and we are making efforts to trace them,” said advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, convener of Punjab Lawyers Organisation.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has made a list of 33 persons booked in Alipur police station, Delhi. Sirsa said families can contact the DSGMC, and its legal experts have taken the responsibility for getting such persons released, as soon as possible.