Farmers leave tractor-trailers at police station
PEASANTS ACCUSE POLICE OF MISUSE OF POWER, COPS SAY FARMERS WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURE TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES BACK
RADAUR(YAMUNANAGAR): Fearing arrest in the wake of the police action and registration of FIRs under attempt to murder charge, farmers of the Yamunanagar district did not reach the police station to take their tractor-trailers back.
Around 40 tractor-trailers of farmers, who were proceeding to take part in Delhi gehrao protest. were impounded on Friday, and kept at Radaur police station.
Police had booked around 150 farmers and arrested 35 others while searches are being conducted for the arrest of many others.
Fearing arrest, farmers did not go to the police station to claim their tractor-trailers. The police have also deflated the tyres of all their vehicles.
The 150 farmers were booked, including 41 by name, by the Yamunanagar police under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
‘POLICE MISUSING THEIR POWER’
“The police are misusing their power against farmers but we will continue our protest. Let the government keep our tractors. We did not violate any law. The police even attacked us as seen in several videos that surfaced on social media,” said Sandeep Topra, a farmer leader, in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, police officers associated with the investigation said that assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Pawan Kumar sustained injuries in a clash with farmers and a case for attempt to murder was registered on his complaint.
However, some other police officials, on the condition of anonymity, said that Pawan was already discharged from the hospital and there were no major injuries on his body.
“The farmers are fearing arrest. That is why they are not going to the police station to take their tractors back. Most of the farmers are sugarcane growers and they are facing problems in taking their produce to sugarmill,” said a farmer, whose tractor was also impounded.
Radaur DSP Ajay Rana said, “The tractors were parked in the police station as the farmers did not remove them from the road. Now the farmers will have to follow the procedure to take their tractors back”.
Radaur police station incharge Satpal Singh said, “On the complaint of ASI Pawan, who was injured in the clash, the police booked the farmers for attempt to murder. “Now the investigation was on and senior police officers were dealing with the case. It is matter of investigation whether Section 307 will be withdrawn or not.”
Bharitya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni and other famer bodies have called a state-level meeting in Hisar on February 26.
They demanded the government to release the arrested farmers and threatened to intensify their agitation if FIRs registered against farmers were not withdrawn.