Farm unions demand high-level judicial probe into R-Day violence
Samyukta Kisan Morcha accuses Delhi Police of implicating innocent protesters in false cases
NEW DELHI : Protesting farmer unions on Saturday demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the violence that took place during the tractor rally in New Delhi on January 26 and the alleged ‘false” cases slapped on the farmers.
Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) legal cell member Kuldeep Singh said that a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court should probe the incidents to unravel the “conspiracy” behind the January 26 violence and the alleged “false cases” against the farmers.
According to SKM leaders, 16 farmers who had participated in the tractor parade are still untraceable. Another leader Ravinder Singh said 122 farmers had been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with 14 of the 44 FIRs, adding that SKM will provide legal and financial aid to all the arrested farmers.
‘Seek our help before making appearance’
Accusing the Delhi Police of framing and arresting “innocent” farmers, the legal team of Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Saturday urged farmers receiving notice from the police to seek their help before making an appearance. The legal team of SKM, the umbrella body of 40 farmer groups protesting against three contentious farm laws, also accused the police of booking farmers under sections of dacoity and attempt to murder with the aim to “implicate” them in “fake cases” and to ensure they don’t receive bail.
The legal team also demanded that the cases against farmers be taken back.
“Since the police are arresting farmers by calling them by issuing notice, we urge all such farmers to first approach our legal team who will assist them at every step. The farmers receiving these summons should not visit the police without our lawyers,” Prem Singh Bhangu, convener of SKM’s legal team, said at a news briefing at Singhu Border. “All arrested farmers are sons of the SKM. We’ll fight your battle,” Bhangu added. So far, the police have arrested 122 people for their alleged involvement in violence during a tractor rally on Republic Day. These arrests were followed by the registration of 44 FIRs.
Bhangu said that since these arrests were based on only a few of the FIRs, more arrests on the pretext of appearance in response to police notices were expected.
“The police booked farmers under sections of dacoity and attempt to murder. We are agitators, not criminals. Did the police receive even a single complaint from any shopkeeper on Republic Day of theft of even peanuts that they registered cases of dacoity?”
On Friday, members of the legal team visited farmers lodged in Tihar Jail and informed them that a team of around 150 lawyers was working to seek their bail. “We will also be sending monetary help to the jailed farmers by Monday,” said Bhangu.
He also promised help from Monday in recovering farmers’ tractors and other vehicles that are currently in police custody.
Members of the legal team said of the 38 farmers reported missing since January 26, only 16 remain to be found. “Investigation is going on and whoever is served the notice has to join the investigation,” said Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police spokesperson.