Delhi Police issue notices to farmers in three UP districts
Recipients of notices in Baghpat claim they were not in Delhi on January 26
MEERUT/LUCKNOW: The Delhi Police have issued notices to several people, including farmers, in three western Uttar Pradesh districts of Baghpat, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur over the Republic Day violence that coincided with the kisan tractor parade in the national capital.
Delhi’s Pandav Nagar and Seemapuri police have issued notices to at least nine people in the Baghpat district under 12 different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Epidemic Disease Act and the Disaster Management Act. Many of those to whom the notices were issued in Bagphat said they didn’t go to Delhi on January 26.
Similarly, the Delhi Police issued notices to two dozen farmers in Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur. Superintendent of police (Pilibhit) Jai Prakash said, “The Delhi Police team investigating the violence on the
Republic Day tracked some tractors and trolleys with the registration of Pilibhit. The police team went to the houses of farmers suspected to have participated in the parade and issued them notices to appear at police stations in Delhi to record their statement.”
Those to whom the notices were issued in Baghpat included the clan-based Desh khap’s thambedar (local chief) Chaudhary Brijpal Singh and septuagenarian Baljor Singh Arya of Malakpur village. They said they were in Baghpat’s Baraut town on January 26, leading the farmers’ agitation locally.
Arya said it seemed that the Delhi Police had issued notices to those who were active in leading the protest.
“I don’t know on what basis they have sent me the notice,” Brijpal Singh said.
Vishwas Chaudhary, the owner of a Baraut- based school, said, “We have sent a reply to the police through a lawyer.”
He also said that the thambedar was with him on January 26.
Former Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLA Veerpal Rathi, councillor Ashutosh Tomar, one Vinod of Khera village, Vipin Dhikana and one Bobby of Bawli village are also among the nine people to whom the notices were issued.
The notice issued by the Pandav Nagar police reads, “In exercise of the powers conferred under 160/91 of CrPc I hereby inform you that during the investigation of FIR no 66/2021,U/s 144/147/148/149/ 307/186/188/353/332/395/397/12 0B IPC, 3 Epidemic Disease Act and 51/58 (1) Disaster Management Act at Pandav Nagar Police station, it has revealed that there are reasonable grounds to ascertain facts and circumstances from you. Hence you are hereby informed through this notice that you have to appear before the undersigned at 1pm on dates 07/02/2021 for the purpose of investigation of the above said case.” It bears the signatures of SI Niraj Kumar and SHO Pandav Nagar.
However, Arya said, “I will not go there and send a reply to them.” Baghpat police officials were not available for comment.
About 3,000 farmers of Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur had travelled to Delhi for the tractor parade and returned later.
People aware of the development, said farmers in villages of Puranpur area in Pilibhit, including a local religious head, were issued notice.
“A tractor identified by Delhi Police is registered in the name of the priest. He has been asked to appear in Delhi before February 14 to record his statement,” said a senior police functionary on condition of anonymity.
About 15 farmers of the Khutar area of Shahjahanpur were also issued notices.