R-day violence: Police identify 80 tractors

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday said they have seized 14 tractors, while more than 80 tractors have been identified for allegedly being part of the farmers’ tractor rally, which had turned violent in the national capital on Republic Day.

Police said the tractors were used to break through the barricades and buses stationed by the police on the roads to stop protesting farmers from deviating from the agreed-upon routes for the rally.

The police said they have also got “clear photographs” of 12 men allegedly involved in the January 26 violence from video footage available with them. The video grabs of the 12 suspects were circulated on social media on Tuesday, but the police said they have not officially released them yet.

A total of 44 cases have been registered in connection with the violence at Red Fort and other places in Delhi during the tractor rally on January 26 and also in connection with an incident on January 29 when a group of persons, claiming to be locals, entered the protest site at Singhu border and clashed with farmers and police.

Police said in all, they have arrested 123 people, including protester Akash Preet Singh whose arrest details were shared on Monday, and apprehended two minor boys. The total number of police personnel injured in the two incidents of violence is 510. A day after the January 26 violence, the city police had said 394 police personnel were injured, during clashes. At least 10 farmers have also sustained injuries.

The crime branch, which was already investigating 10 cases related to the January 26 violence, has now been given four more cases (from the 44) for investigation. Of the four cases, one pertains to the FIR filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in connection with the vandalism at the iconic Red Fort. This is the second FIR in the violence at the historic monument; the first one was filed by the police themselves. The other three FIRS transferred to the crime branch were registered at the Nangloi police station, police officers privy to the development said.

One of the officers, who did not want to be named, said 14 tractors were seized from different places in the city, where the violence had occurred on January 26.

“The seizures were made after video footages pertaining to the violence confirmed that they were involved in the vandalism and violence. The owners of these tractors have been served notices, asking them to join the investigation and record their statement,” the officer said.

Asked about the 80 or more tractors that have been identified but are yet to be seized, the officer said these were identified with the help of the video footage and photographs available with the police and those shared by the public.

“A majority of these tractors are from Punjab and Haryana. Many of them were at the Red Fort during the violence. The owners of these tractors are being sent notices for joining our probe recording statements,” the officer said.

After the January 26 and 29 violence, the police have strengthened their security arrangements at the three spots with multilayered barricading, iron spikes on roads, trenches, barbed wire fencing and y place iron rods between cemented barriers, and pouring cement mixture between barricades. All these measures are in addition to the deployment of DTC buses and extra personnel. The new security measures have attracted sharp criticism from protesting farmers, civil society as well as politicians.

Delhi Police chief SN Shrivastava on Tuesday defended the measures and said the force had “strengthened” the barricading so that it is not broken again. Addressing the media outside DCP Outer’s office in Pitampura, Shrivastava said he was “surprised” that nobody had raised questions when protesters had attacked policemen.

“I am surprised that when tractors were used on January 26 to attack policemen and barricades were broken, no questions were raised. Why were no questions raised at that time? What have we done now? We have just strengthened the barricades so that it could not be broken again,” he said.

I am surprised that when tractors were used on January 26 to attack policemen and barricades were broken, no questions were raised. SN SHRIVASTAVA, Delhi police commissioner