Delhi Police framing innocents: Farm union
NEW DELHI 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 and the Republic Day violence be investigated by a “high-level judicial” team comprising a high court judge and a retired Supreme Court judge.
“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.
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.
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.
Mahatma’s kin visits Ghazipur protest site
Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee on Saturday visited Ghazipur on the Delhi-uttar Pradesh border to extend support to the farmers’ protest
“We have not come here as part of any political programme. We have come here today for the farmers, who have fed all of us our whole life,” Bhattacharjee said, according to the statement by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers union leading the protest there.